Until now, the production of solar-grade silicon has been energy-intensive and cost-ineffective. However, new technologies are now being developed to reduce energy consumption and lower production costs.
As awareness of the environmental crisis facing our planet increases, more and more countries are likely to offer government subsidies to companies and households that install solar panels.
Shorter energy recovery time
The myth that solar cells never produce enough energy to recoup the energy expended during their production has long since been disproved.
Elkem's production process is a technological quantum leap towards more energy-efficient production of super-clean silicon for use in solar cells. Elkem Solar is setting new recovery-time records – it now takes only two months to recoup the energy that Elkem Solar invests in a solar cell.
"It takes just over a year for a solar cell made with Elkem Solar material to become energy-neutral. The solar cell then generates "free" energy for the next 25–30 years," explains Jens Christian Fjelldal, Environment, Health and Safety Manager at Elkem Solar.
He elaborates further on the energy-recovery-time figures, which relate to solar cells installed in Southern Europe. "Solar cells containing silicon produced using rival technologies take a year to recoup the energy expended to produce the solar-grade silicon, meaning a total energy-recoupment period of almost two years."
Pioneer spirit
The solar adventure began 30 years ago at Elkem Fiskaa in Kristiansand, when Elkem and key players in the budding solar cell industry invested in a number of major projects. Elkem saw the potential of producing electricity from the sun, and therefore focused on honing its expertise relating to the purification of silicon to solar-grade quality. In autumn 2006, Orkla invested billions of kroner in the construction of a factory in Kristiansand, which is now in the start-up phase. Production of Elkem Solar Silicon® will be ramped up in the course of 2009. |
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The adventure continues
ESS has been tested as a raw material, or feedstock, by several of the largest solar cell manufacturers in the world. Q-Cells, one of Elkem Solar's primary customers, has now approved Elkem Solar's solar-grade silicon for use in its solar cells, as a fully-purified material.
"Solar cells made of Elkem Solar Silicon® yield as much energy as solar cells made of silicon produced by the rival Siemens process. Moreover, our R&D department has proved that the yield from ESS can potentially be increased even further in future," relates Ragnar Tronstad, Technology Director at Elkem Solar.
High pace
Elkem Solar will maintain its current high pace to keep up with its competitors. The company's research staff has also identified potential improvements to the production process, which will reduce costs at new factories.
And the energy effect of the solar cells? At present, one year's production of ESS installed as solar cells in Spain produces 900 GWh of electricity, or enough to supply 45,000 households. The solar cells last for 25–30 years, and emit no greenhouse gases. It will be exciting to see how many households will benefit from Elkem Solar's technology in the future.
Advantages of Elkem Solar Silicon®
- Lower energy consumption during production.
- Lower CO2 emissions during production.
- Reduced energy-recoupment period for installed solar cell modules.
- Lower production costs.
- Potential reduction in investment costs linked to factories producing solar-grade silicon.
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Elkem Solar
- Production of Elkem Solar Silicon® takes place in five processing stages:
metallurgical silicon, slag refining, leaching, solidification and post-treatment.
- The new factory has cost NOK  4 billion.
- The factory will have an annual production volume of 6,000 tonnes.
- Employs 270 persons.
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Text: Betzy A.K. Thangstad, Senior Communications Advisor, Elkem