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 1/2 year - then we need about 1 kW per watt of PV. [2]
- This means we can produce 200kW of PV from 100kW of PV every year. We double every 6 months!
- 100kW is about 300 PV panels. About 2 panel per day production rate from available energy if we make the silicon from sand.
Silicon Production
- 1 kg of solar grade silicon produces 2-4 kW of pv cells. [3]
- 300kWhr for 1 kg of solar grade silicon [4]
- 100kWhr to produce 1 kg of solar grade silicon [5]
- Upgrading metallurgical grade can be done to achieve 5N silicon [6]. See Science Direct [7]
- Chemistry - [8]
- UMG achieves up to 20% [9]
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. " - [10]
- "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.]
- OMG! UMG! Compared to conventional polysilicon, it delivers a significant reduction in climate change emissions by over 20% and cuts the energy payback time by 50%. - [11]
- China took 10 years to exceed the world in pv - [China showed interest in PVs after 2000 and in a very short time (5–10 years), it built up a world-class industry surpassing all its Western competitors in terms of momentum and effectiveness]
- No new UMG since 2014 [12]
- Recycling can be big - [13]
