Environment India

Pavagada solar park busts notions of renewable energy as inherently good: Karnataka Solar parks need 7,000–20,000 litres of water per megawatt (MW) per wash. A  study  titled Renewable Energy to Responsible Energy: A Call to Action, done by Forum for the Future with six other organisations, points to a large amount of water needed for periodic cleaning of solar panels. Many solar installations in India are located in arid and semi-arid areas bringing significant risk to the local ecosystem and communities. Disappearing pollinators like bees and butterflies during installation is a concern. Pavagada, which has a 13,000-acre solar park, has also lost its bird and large mammal population. There is concern around what happens when the park is decommissioned. A study says at the end-of-life stage, if not handled properly, toxic elements from disposed of PV panels can adversely affect ecological systems. The way forward will be in adopting more inclusive options ...