Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.
US President Donald Trump is determined to breathe new life into the nation’s aging fleet of coal power plants, regardless of the harm to human lungs and the impacts on local ecosystems, too. Why does the American President hate Americans so much? Who knows!? Regardless, a new study from the UK makes yet another case for ditching coal. In addition to polluting the air people breathe, emissions from coal power plants are reducing the effectiveness of nearby solar panels — and washing doesn’t work.
Solar Panels And The Coal Dust Factor
Before we get to the emissions from coal power plants, let’s consider coal. Airborne coal dust from mining operations is a well-known contributor to poor health outcomes and economic malaise in communities that share space with the coal industry. Emissions from coal power plants are also responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year, so it’s somewhat of a mystery why the Commander-in-Chief is determined to force more coal upon members of the breathing public, especially when more healthful, more economical energy resources exist for the taking.
Be that as it may, when dust of any kind settles on the surface of solar panels, it reduces their ability to convert light into electricity. In arid regions where natural washing from precipitation is infrequent, washing trucks or robotic washing systems can keep the panels clean, although that adds a maintenance expense. Washing can also add yet another burden to stressed water systems.
