Rudy Miller, Global Market Manager for Photovoltaics at Dow Corning Solar
Solutions, said that the product and the manufacturing process is a
breakthrough for the solar industry.
"Our process [for manufacturing metallurgical silicon] is industrial, and
that is something that nobody else has been able to do. There's been some
lab work publicized, there's some pilot lines out there, but we've got the
only industrial facility operating," said Miller.
That could be just what the industry needs. Over the last four years,
demand for silicon has far exceeded production capabilities. This year
will be the same.
According to "The Gun has Gone Off," a solar market report from Photon
Consulting's Michael Rogol, the solar market's 2006 demand is for 5
gigawatts (GW) of power. But because of silicon feedstock constraints, the
industry will only be able to produce between 2.2 and 2.4 GW.
PV 1101 needs to be distributed quickly in order to ease the silicon
shortage, said Ted Ciszek, a national silicon consultant who once worked
for the Dow Corning Corporation.
"If they can get the product to market fast enough and if there's a
substantial cost advantage, then it will most likely have an impact,"
Ciszek said. "The silicon shortage may not be as big a problem in two to
three years, so it's important that the product go out now."
Dow Corning has already allocated its initial supply of PV 1101 to select
customers. Representatives from the company would not comment on which
customers received the material or how much was shipped due to
nondisclosure agreements. However, they did say that demand has exceeded
their supply capabilities.
PV 1101 is not a replacement for traditional silicon. It must be blended
with polysilicon to remain suitable for PV cells. According to Dow
Corning, the typical amount of metallurgical silicon in their tested PV
cells is 10%. Miller said that customers had a higher blend in some cases
based upon their business model and technology, but he did not comment on
specific percentages.
The company hopes that continued development of metallurgical silicon will
help the solar market expand. PV 1101 is only the beginning, said Gaetan
Borgers, Director of Dow Corning Solar Solutions.
"This product is an option for further growth. We want to gradually gain
confidence in our process. Our customers will help us understand the
capability of PV 1101, and eventually we will have more generations of
this product."
The silicon production facility is located in Santos Dumont, Brazil. It is
run by Companhia Brasileira Carbureto de Calcio (CBCC), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Dow Corning.
