What is the total life-cycle carbon and pollution cost of current-generation solar panels, installed for residential use?
How much does it cost to mine & refine the materials, fabricate the panels and inverters and such, transport them, install them, de-install them, and recycle/dispose of them at their end of life?
I elected here to participate heavily in a community solar farm, where the panels are right at the transmission station on a near-perfect site, and it's probably the best investment I could have made with the cash at the time. The project was heavily subsidized by federal and state grants, so someone else is paying for much of my power now, which is fine with me I guess.