“Environmental cost” is a very vague concept. If we only consider carbon emissions, more efficient panels might be better. But factoring in the waste generated over time, the lifecycle impacts of the panels (mining, manufacturing, disposal, etc.) I think there needs to be more analysis. Not saying it will outweigh, I just think its worth a hard look.
In terms of decreasing demand, that’s a consumer-side factor, so it has no connection to actual panel production.
Such a good idea, love this
I can get behind techno-anarchism…
Yep this makes sense to me, I agree. Especially if those vast areas are far from large manufacturing facilities of these efficient panels (likely), less complex and DIY panels produced on site would reduce transportation costs. It would just be a matter of locating materials in those regions.