Which statement about solar energy is true?

• A. It causes significant water pollution during operation.
• B. It has no environmental impact at any stage.
• C. It requires constant fossil fuel backup to function.
• D. It is weather dependent.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that solar energy generation depends on sunlight and weather conditions. Solar panels only produce electricity when photons from the sun hit them, so cloudiness, rain, or nighttime greatly reduce or stop power output. That weather dependence is what makes solar power intermittent and often requires storage or backup systems to keep supply steady.

Why the other statements aren’t correct: solar PV doesn’t pollute water during operation; any water impacts come from manufacturing or cleaning, not while the system runs. Saying there’s no environmental impact at any stage ignores the effects of mining materials, manufacturing, land use, and end-of-life disposal. And while some systems use backup during periods of low sun, solar power doesn’t inherently require constant fossil-fuel backup; with adequate storage or a diverse energy mix, it can run without continuous fossil backup.