Yes agreed Banjar, but my quick answer would be that yes there is a once-off embodied energy and (potential) carbon emission content in the manufacture of solar PV panels but this (IMHO) will be more than offest by the fact that they produce no ongoing emissions.
I should also point out - again, IMHO - the ultimate objective of solar energy is not necessarily to save energy (that's what energy efficiency initiatives do) but it is to reduce carbon emissions and to provide more a sustainable energy source. A subtle but very important difference.
