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Solar panel minerals: Difference between revisions
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It takes [[minerals]] to make [[solar panels]]. Some minerals are scarce. This might be an issue if we want to scale up green [[energy]] enough to replace [[fossil fuels]]. | It takes [[minerals]] to make [[solar panels]]. Some minerals are scarce. This might be an issue if we want to scale up green [[energy]] enough to replace [[fossil fuels]]. | ||
'''Summary:''' | |||
* ''Thin-film'' solar panel tech is '''not''' scalable enough. The earth just doesn't have enough rare minerals to be mined. | |||
* There might be [[solar/challenge 1|hope]] for scaling up some kind of "low-end" solar panel tech - perhaps crystalline silicon combined with mostly aluminium internal wiring instead of copper. The solar efficiency would be lower but maybe still worth it. {{rn}} | |||
The 3rd column of the tables | |||
Below are ongoing tables of the minerals (and their quantities) involved in solar panel technologies. <!--Apparently this doesn't exist on the internet already, so we have to make it ourselves.--> The 3rd column of the tables is based on a scenario involving [[rooftop solar|375,000 km^2 of solar panels]] globally (all suitable rooftops covered in solar panels) (which is very roughly what it would take to [[replace fossil fuels]] as an energy source). | |||
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The list of minerals to consider, was inspired by https://palmetto.com/learning-center/blog/minerals-in-solar-panels-and-solar-batteries | The list of minerals to consider, was inspired by https://palmetto.com/learning-center/blog/minerals-in-solar-panels-and-solar-batteries | ||
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==General estimates== | ==General estimates== | ||
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|Copper | |Copper | ||
|4990 g/m<sup>2</sup> <ref>Calculated from the statistic that there are 5.5 tons of copper for every megawatt(peak) of solar.<br />https://www.copper.org/environment/sustainable-energy/pdf/CDA-Solar-Infographic.pdf</ref> | |4990 g/m<sup>2</sup> <ref>Calculated from the statistic that there are 5.5 tons of copper for every megawatt(peak) of solar.<br />https://www.copper.org/environment/sustainable-energy/pdf/CDA-Solar-Infographic.pdf</ref><!-- | ||
TALK: | |||
This is actually an underestimate. I think I forgot to factor in the efficiency of the solar panels. The real calculation should look like: | |||
{{calc | |||
| solar_panel.rq_copper_by_peak_power / sunlight_peak / solar_panel.efficiency | |||
| g/m^2 | |||
| copper_by_area | |||
}} | |||
{{calc | |||
| copper_by_area * rooftop_area | |||
| % copper.reserves | |||
}} | |||
Results are 29350 g/m^2 and 1265% of global reserves!!! | |||
Then again, if it turns out I misunderstood the original stat (maybe the source meant to say 5.5 tons of copper per AVERAGED megawatt???) then the result would be closer to what it is now. | |||
But all this brings us to another point: | |||
REFACTOR?: Maybe a lot more of this page should be refactored into the calculator format. But I still want to combine it nicely with the existing table format. | |||
Option 1: Think of a simple writing style that integrates both. | |||
Option 2: Code up a whole new system that integrates both. It would act almost like a spreadsheet! First I should write up a new wikipage outlining the requirements, and use-cases (i.e. examples of wikipages that would benefit from it). | |||
Note: In either case, for this page, if I go with this refactor: Keep all the identifiers short: Don't include the prefix "solar_panel.rq_..." | |||
Additional benefit of refactoring: gets rid of the numbered references - avoids distracting the reader from the numbers we actually care about. | |||
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|215% <ref>Copper reserves: 870,000,000 tonnes<br />USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021</ref> | |215% <ref>Copper reserves: 870,000,000 tonnes<br />USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Silver | |Silver | ||
|0.82 g/m<sup>2</sup> <ref>Grandell, Leena & Thorenz, Andrea, 2014. "Silver supply risk analysis for the solar sector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 157-165.<br />Quote: <q>"This estimate is based on a very low silver content (0.82 g/m^2), which already reflects a technical approach to reduce silver consumption, such as the 'wrap through technology' or substitution of silver with copper, both of which are currently in development stage."</q><br />Note: Since the article is from 2014, maybe lower-silver options are available now. Also, the article doesn't really specify which solar panel technologies use this amount of silver.</ref> | |0.82 g/m<sup>2</sup> <ref>Grandell, Leena & Thorenz, Andrea, 2014. "Silver supply risk analysis for the solar sector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 157-165.<br />Quote: <q>"This estimate is based on a very low silver content (0.82 g/m^2), which already reflects a technical approach to reduce silver consumption, such as the 'wrap through technology' or substitution of silver with copper, both of which are currently in development stage."</q><br /><small>{{light|Note: Since the article is from 2014, maybe lower-silver options are available now. Also, the article doesn't really specify which solar panel technologies use this amount of silver.}}</small></ref> | ||
|62% <ref>Silver reserves: 500,000 tonnes<br />https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114842/global-silver-reserves/</ref> | |62% <ref>Silver reserves: 500,000 tonnes<br />https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114842/global-silver-reserves/</ref> | ||
|} | |} | ||