China may be a cheaper source of solar panels than Europe, but the difference in the production cost could bring more harm to the environment, a new study has said.

Based on a study done by the United States Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the Northwestern University, Chinese manufacturers use energy sources that could release more pollution to the environment. These sources also have lower environmental standards, according to The New York Times.

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The researchers from Illinois examined the carbon footprint and amount of energy used up in solar panel production. They took into consideration the cost of mining raw materials, transportation, and power supply of the factory.

According to Dr. Fengqi You, one of the authors of the study, China-made solar panels have about twice the environmental cost than Europe-made panels. The study will be published in Solar Energy journal's July issue.

Dr. You also said solar manufacturing in China is "less sustainable." This conclusion prompted them to propose a tax on carbon emissions and energy usage on the production.

Nanjing University professor Huang Xianjin explained that although China has a lot of photovoltaic makers, more pollution is produced in the manufacturing process itself. He added that the country has to exert more effort in reducing the damage that the local solar industry has inflicted on the environment by improving waste treatment, educating people, and monitoring the environment.

In 2011, Chinese officials halted operations at a Zhejiang solar panel factory after prolonged protests by residents who complained that factory emissions polluted the air and water around the area.

In 2012, China had supplied almost 60% of the world's photovoltaic panels, based on data from the Earth Policy Institute. The next big producers are Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Germany, South Korea, and the US.

The study said a China-made solar panel would have to last between 20% and 30% longer than a Europe-made panel to make up for the energy consumption involved in manufacturing.

Seth Darling, one of the co-authors of the study, explained that the extraction of solar-grade silicon in China uses up a lot of energy, which usually comes from "dirtier" sources compared to that in Europe. He said that China needs to improve its environmental policies to close the gap between China and Europe's environmental standards.