I think by continuous development and research yes they are sustainable

The idea of solar energy refers to sustainability. However, as its use grows, without the existence of quality control and requirements in the production mode of components such as photovoltaic panels, it can begin to be less sustainable.

There are many alternative brands on the market today, as well as fake components, which put labels from major manufacturers, which is a danger since manufacturing to use.

This question is relevant and should be discussed at length.

Yes, it is sustainable. However, there should be periodic evaluation of the STEEP (social, technical, economic, environment and policy) requirements for PV Solar Power. When the results from such evaluation process are combined with the institutional structure of a system, a PV Solar Power will be sustain.

I feel it may or may not be sustainable, Olav !

One needs to carefully consider and reconsider several aspects (as Desmond has suggested). The following aspects (some of which are mutually conflicting, as well as country specific) immediately come to mind:

And that list was deliberately limited to five !!

-Sanjay

The EROI of photovoltaic cells continues to grow, its manufacturing costs continue to fall rapidly, are within the reach of the majority of the world's population, its long useful lives continue to grow (now more than 3 decades), have no moving parts, are silent, safe, reliable. Likekely, next year the installed capacity of PV will reach 0,5 TW, and more than 3 TW before 2050, providing must of the electric energy mankind could indeed need.

However, PV technology can be totally sustainable if and only if:

1. There is no contamination by toxic elements (germanium, cadmium, tellurium, lead ...) during the manufacture of the PV cells, and all these can be recovered (and recycled) at the end of their useful life. Current 'circular economy' tends to this.

2. If in case of accident (fracture, sinking in bodies of water, ...) these toxic elements do not dilute in the water nor evaporate into the atmosphere, but remain attached to the substrates of the cell (silicon,...) so they can be recupered before a possible contamination.

3. Its installation is not done at the expense of destroying jungles, crop fields,... but is integrated into buildings and infraestructure where the generated electric energy will be consumed, in rather small and medium-sized decentralized units (avoiding substations, transmission lines, transformers, and all the paraphernalia of the electrical technology of the last century).

4. Only renewable energy is consumed in its manufacturing (from other PV cells, wind turbines, etc.).

Of course, all energy technologies have an environmental impact, which has to be reduced to the maximum. Today, many PV installations do not meet these sustainability requirements.

It is a lot more sustainable (in the conventional meaning of the word) than coal or oil. So what's the issue? Why argue about a no-brainer?