Solar Silicon Production

PV Panels

• About half of the embodied energy of PV panels goes into the production of solar cells themselves. Rest is frame etc. [1]
• If solar panel energy payback is now 1 year - then we need about 2kW per watt of PV.
• This means we can produce 100kW of PV from 100kW of PV every year.
• 100kW is about 300 PV panels. About 1 panel per day.
• This is self-evident. If energy payback is 1 year, then it takes 1 year for the panels to reproduce themselves energy wise.

Silicon Production

• 100kWhr to produce 1 kg of solar grade silicon [2]
• Upgrading metallurgical grade can be done to achieve 5N silicon [3]. See Science Direct [4]
• Chemistry - [5]
• UMG achieves up to 20% [6]

Upgraded Metallurgical Grade

• "There are a number of UMG producers in the market providing a product that potentially could produce a cost advantage over competitors, inside and outside of the silicon-based PV industry. " - [7]
• "In summary, solar cells made from UMG-based material have the same features as any multicrystalline-based cells except for somewhat higher impurity

levels in the 100% UMG." [In summary, solar cells made from UMG-based material have the same features as any multicrystalline-based cells except for somewhat higher impurity levels in the 100% UMG.]

Links

• Embodied Energy of PV