Myth Busters

There's an urban myth that claims that the energy needed to create a photovoltaic system exceeds any energy that the unit will produce. This is not true. Any number of studies show that the embodied energy in a photovoltaic panel is paid back within a few years of use. The exact amount is disputed and is usually a generalisation rather than a figure specific to a particular make and model. I've seen studies that estimate a pay back period of between 3 and 12 years. Since good quality panels last around 40 years, even the most pessimistic viewpoints agree that photovoltaic systems provide a net energy benefit spanning many years.