The Energy Question Has an Easy Solution
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Energy payback is now as little as 0.5 years for utility scale PV. Not counting any open source integrated design improvements. To take it to 0.25 year energy payback time (UMG gets us 30% lower energy already), which is impossible, and thus a perfect project for OSE to take on.
But if we start with 1MW of PV power, and use 1/2 of that for producing more PV - then the time to breed 20TW, starting from 1 MW - is :
Embodied Energy of PV
| Component | Description | Typical Embodied Energy Share (% of module) |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon Feedstock & Ingot | Quartz → polysilicon → crystal growth (Czochralski or similar) | 25–40% |
| Wafering | Slicing ingots into wafers (kerf loss, sawing energy) | 10–20% |
| Cell Processing | Doping, diffusion, etching, deposition (PECVD), metallization | 15–25% |
| Glass (Front Sheet) | Tempered low-iron solar glass (~3–4 mm) | 10–20% |
| Encapsulant (EVA/POE) | Polymer layers for lamination | 3–8% |
| Backsheet (or rear glass if bifacial) | Polymer backsheet or second glass layer | 3–10% |
| Aluminum Frame | Extruded frame + finishing | 5–15% |
| Junction Box & Wiring | Diodes, copper wiring, connectors | 2–5% |
| Module Assembly | Lamination, curing, handling, factory overhead | 3–8% |
| Total | ~100% |
For Upgraded Metallurgical Grade Silicon
About 30% lower overall energy requirement over standard PV.
| Component | Description | Typical Embodied Energy Share (% of module, UMG silicon) |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon Feedstock & Refining (UMG) | Metallurgical silicon upgraded via slag refining / directional solidification (no Siemens process) | 10–20% |
| Ingot Growth | Crystal growth or casting (lower purity requirements than electronic-grade) | 10–20% |
| Wafering | Slicing or kerfless wafer production | 10–20% |
| Cell Processing | Doping, diffusion, passivation, metallization | 20–30% |
| Glass (Front Sheet) | Tempered low-iron solar glass (~3–4 mm) | 15–25% |
| Encapsulant (EVA/POE) | Polymer layers for lamination | 5–10% |
| Backsheet / Rear Glass | Polymer backsheet or second glass layer (bifacial increases share) | 5–15% |
| Aluminum Frame | Extruded frame + finishing | 8–18% |
| Junction Box & Wiring | Diodes, copper wiring, connectors | 2–5% |
| Module Assembly | Lamination, curing, factory overhead | 5–10% |
| Total | ~100% |