Energy used in manufacture is paid back early in the panel's life. This article from 2018 gives a range of 1-4 years, things will have only improved since then. Most panels come with a warranty of 20 years at 90% of original output, so they come out way ahead.
Its disappointing to see this myth repeated over and over again, you should examine the political motivations of the sources that are telling you how dirty panels are. There are externalities to their manufacture but any who tries to convince you they are worse than fossil fuels is being deceptive.
