Climate Action
8 Lies About Solar Energy That Make Fossil Fuels Look Extra Ugly
September 2, 2025
The burning of fossil fuels is causing climate change. Fact. Not a made up belief. Anyone who denies this has a very odd relationship with the truth.
Another fact is that solar energy is clean, renewable, and the technology is improving annually. However fossil fuel fans continue to try and cling to the status quo by spreading lies about solar. Here’s eight of the most frequent anti-solar arguments and why they are just plain wrong.
1. “Solar Panels Are Inefficient”
THE CLAIM: Solar panels only convert 17-20% of the sunlight that hits them into electricity,so it is hardly worth it, right?
THE TRUTH: Those figures are being blown away by new advancements in solar panels. Bifacial panels increase efficiency by an additional 30-40% , and multi-junction PV cells can increase efficiency by up to 45%. Systems that track the sun are striving for even greater efficiency.Unlike fossil fuels, which have been inefficient and decades, solar technology is developing quickly.
2. “They’re way too expensive to install”
THE CLAIM: The average U.S. homeowner would have to spend $18,600 for a 6.5-kiloWatt solar panel system.
THE TRUTH: Cost is influenced by your location, and after construction, solar upkeep is as low as $140-180 annually. The average system can save $46,000 over a 25-year period. To further seal the deal, a 30% federal tax credit is available through December 31st, 2025. Unlike fossil fuels, which simply keep raising prices for the same filthy product, solar is an investment that pays off – beautifully.
3. “Solar takes up too much land and harms ecosystems.”
THE CLAIM: Big solar farms sprawl across the land, displacing wildlife.
THE TRUTH: This concern applies mainly to utility-scale solar farms, but it is entirely avoided with residential solar and other small-scale installations. Rooftop solar panels fit neatly on existing buildings—such as homes, schools, and businesses—without disturbing natural habitats.
Additionally, solar panels can be installed on farm buildings, field edges, parking lots, and other already developed or low-impact areas, minimizing ecosystem disruption. Unlike fossil fuel extraction, which has been destroying habitats for over a century, solar energy can be integrated into our landscapes thoughtfully to protect wildlife and natural ecosystems.
Solar panels used in farming, a practice known as agrivoltaics, provide multiple benefits beyond just energy generation. The panel offers shade that protects plants from heat, reduces water loss, and can even boost yields. They also help capture rainwater, conserve resources, and provide farmers with extra income, all while supporting biodiversity and soil health.
4. “Solar panels contain dangerous materials”
THE CLAIM: Mining for the minerals that solar panels need to work like lithium, cadmium, gallium, and other materials pose environmental and health risks, plus manufacturing panels emit carbon and silicon dust.
THE TRUTH: While mining minerals like lithium, cadmium, and silicon for solar panels does carry some environmental and health risks, these impacts are manageable and minimized through strong regulations, safety standards, and recycling programs currently in place in many states.
In contrast, fossil fuel extraction and use cause ongoing pollution and emissions with far fewer safeguards or recycling solutions. The solar industry continues to improve sustainable mining practices to reduce environmental harm while supporting a cleaner energy future.
5. “Solar doesn’t work when the sun’s not shining – it’s intermittent energy!”
THE CLAIM: Solar is unreliable because weather, the seasons and night time make its energy intermittent!
THE TRUTH: Er have you heard of something called storage batteries? While solar energy does indeed depend on the sun, advanced battery storage systems store excess power generated during sunny periods, ensuring reliable electricity day and night. These batteries can power homes and businesses for hours or even days during cloudy weather or outages, making solar a steady and resilient energy source.
Plus there is another little thing called grid connection. Grid connection means your solar panels are linked to the public power grid so you can draw power when your panels aren’t producing. With net metering, you can even sell extra energy you make with your solar panel – for credits or cash, and your utility will pay the difference when you need more power.
While the sun may take pauses, your electricity does not, and the “always on” nature of fossil fuels results in an unending flow of ugly pollutants.
6. “Solar energy benefits from government subsidies that tip the scales in its favor”
THE CLAIM: Government funding for renewable energy technology, such as solar energy system technology, distorts the energy market and therefore takes away citizens’ freedom to buy from a free market.
THE TRUTH: While the solar industry does benefit from government subsidies—such as the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that offers a 30% credit on installation costs through the end of 2025—these incentives help offset the high upfront costs and accelerate the transition to clean energy. President Trump has cancelled these incentives however in favor of the fossil fuel industry.
In 2022, the United States and the European Union provided $760 billion and $310 billion respectively in subsidies, to the fossil fuel industry. Even though their pollution is driving climate change. Subsidies for solar and renewables are investments in a sustainable future, that just helped to slightly level the playing field against the entrenched fossil fuel sector that has long benefited from decades of financial and policy support without accountability for environmental costs.
7. “The Government has favorites – not fair – boo hoo”
THE CLAIM: It’s unfair to favor one energy source over another.
THE TRUTH: For decades, fossil fuels have received strong support, and their lobbyists have obstructed the advancement of renewable energy.
In 1975 and 2005, the American Petroleum Institute rejected proposals that would have increased clean technology and efficiency. Calling solar “favored” ignores the reality that the energy playing field has never been level — and it’s fossil fuels that have been winning by unfair rules and sneaky tactics.
8. “Oil companies are investing in clean energy anyways”
THE CLAIM: Fossil fuel companies are part of the solution .
THE TRUTH: According to a 2023 assessment by the International Energy Agency (IEA), fossil fuel companies invest only about 4% of their capital spending—around $30 billion—in clean energy, which accounts for a very small fraction of the global clean energy investment.
Many of the “green” programs promoted by oil companies are criticized as greenwashing: involving more talk than substantial action. Simply labeling an oil company with a solar or a clean energy logo or over using the color green on the PR – does not change the fact that the industry’s core investments and profits still heavily depend on fossil fuels. But funding is pouring into solar. Overall, real no- fossil fuel related global clean energy investment reached a record $1.8 trillion in 2023, vastly outpacing fossil fuel spending.
Solar is the Future – Sorry Fossils!
The majority of arguments against solar ultimately fall flat when confronted with the facts, and the difference between solar and fossil fuels is clear. Want to take a deeper dive – read our Explainer- Can The World Run On Sunshine?
Fossil fuels leave behind oil spills, poisonous air, and an unaffordable climate bill. They are also messy, finite, and expensive for the environment and our finances. Solar energy is more cost-effective, greener, and always evolving with new technologies and increased efficiency. We have a brighter alternative just above our heads every day, so why continue to pay the ugly price of gas, coal, and oil when the sun won’t be sending us a bill anytime soon?
Solar also does not pollute our air and water, unlike all things fossil fuel.
To keep America’s water and air clean we need a strong Environmental Protection Agency, but the present administration has other ideas. Read our EPA statement on their latest attacks on clean air and clean water here, and take action.
If you care about the environment, and are in the U.S., we need your voice. Add your name to our public comments on the EPA’s intentions to gut the agency’s ability to regulate pollution due to climate change, also known as the Endangerment Finding.
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