Social cost factors and the development of photovoltaic energy systems

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6172732

Neff, T L

The results are presented of a social cost evaluation of three prospective photovoltaic electricity supply technologies. The technologies - based on cadmium sulfide, silicon, and gallium arsenide - are compared with each other and with coal in three categories of direct social impacts: occupational and public health and environmental effects. Indirect impacts, due to opportunity costs and benefits, or to health or other effects of use of material, labor or energy itself, are also considered. Special attention is given to regulatory issues that will arise in connection with these social costs and to their potential importance to government programs and commercial development.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington (USA); Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Energy Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ET20279
• OSTI ID: 6172732
• Report Number(s): MIT-EL-79-026
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140600* -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
LABOR
MATERIALS
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PNICTIDES
PUBLIC HEALTH
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOCIAL IMPACT
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS