The roofs of many homes in the United States are covered with photovoltaic (PV) solar cells that resemble roof tiles, generating electricity quietly from solar energy. An article stated that over its projected 30-year service life, a 4-kW roof PV system in California will reduce the production of CO2 that causes global warming by 433,000 lbm, sulfates that cause acid rain by 2900 lbm, and nitrates that cause smog by 1660 lbm. The article also claims that a PV roof will save 253,000 lbm of coal, 21,000 gallons of oil, and 27 million ft3 of natural gas. Making reasonable assumptions for incident solar radiation, efficiency, and emissions, evaluate these claims and make corrections if necessary.
