A report circulating this week claims that solar panels have been found to drain the sun’s energy. Is this true or false?

The story is fake.

It was published by the satirical website National Report, which has posted other outlandish articles such as President Obama removing “In God We Trust” from currency, or the president seeking a third term.

In the fake story about solar panels, we read that the Halibuton-commissioned study in Wyoming found that solar panels “pull on the sun over time” which forces more energy to be released than produced.

Aside from the fact that National Report publishes only satire, there are also no sources cited and no corroborating news reports about this supposed finding.

About National Report

National Report has a disclaimer which states that the website produces satirical content. The disclaimer – which has been removed and moved on several occasions – begins:

*DISCLAIMER: National Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. 

Environmental Impact of Solar Panels

Although solar panels do not affect the sun, as the satirical story from National Report suggests, there are concerns about the environmental impact of widespread use of solar panels. Stated concerns are interference with existing land uses, impacts to soil, water, and air resources, ecological concerns, and aesthetic impacts.

Bottom Line

The report that solar panels drain the sun’s energy is a work of satire. There are, however, some concerns about environmental impact of solar panels with widespread use.