Q: I was wondering about the high cost of silicon and whether that
will prevent the price drop in Solar residential systems that everyone is
counting on. Given the high demand any significant price drop appears unlikely.
Do you know of any research on material other than silicon that is promising?
Jerry H
South Carolina
A: Jerry, Today's photovoltaics are made primarily from silicon, which
in the 1990's was derived only from the silicon waste that came from the silicon
chip industry. In April, media reports surfaced from the biggest PV companies
that solar-grade silicon leapt from $9 per kilo in 2000 to $25 last year, and
$60 in 2005. These higher prices are a result of the fast growth rate of the
global photovoltaics industry, which produced more than 1.2 Gigawatts in 2004,
and the efficiencies in the traditional silicon chip industry, which leave less
wastes from their process for solar-grade silicon.
With the announcement of the Solar Energy Industry Association's (SEIA) American
Solar Power Industry Research and Investment in Technology collaborative the
photovoltaics industry is working to build upon its earlier efforts for fair
access to silicon. The industry-led collaborative is designed to reduce the
cost, increase the efficiency, and improve the manufacturing of solar PV through
novel breakthrough designs and processes, which should lead to low-cost
manufacturing and new silicon production processes, among other goals. While
there are some promising newer PV materials in the marketplace, such as thin
films with Indium, Selenium and Gallium, and Cadmium Telluride, another emerging
play will be through non-silicon nanotechnology, which uses light sensitive
dyes.
Konarka Technologies, a manufacturer of non-silicon nanotechnology, is setting
up its pilot plant this year.
With smart tactics for using traditional silicon efficiently, non-silicon
materials already in the marketplace and soon-to-be others via nanotechnology,
and other approaches - the silicon shortage issue should just be seen as growing
pains in a fast-paced industry during its early adolescence.
Scott
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