Solar Panels are Safe for Your Community

Discover how utility-scale solar facilities are safe for your community.

two adults wearing safety vests and hard hats smiling behind some solar panels

Learn about the materials in solar panels and discover how utility-scale solar facilities are safe for your community.

Key Takeaways

  • Solar panels are made of materials like glass, aluminum, copper, and semiconductors commonly found in household appliances and technology.
  • In the U.S., the two most used solar cells—Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) at 62% of current installations, with Thin Film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) making up the majority of the remaining market—do not pose a danger to human health or the environment.
  • Testing shows that both c-Si and CdTe panels are safe in worst-case conditions of abandonment or damage in a disaster.