China developed a method to use concetrated solar power to purify silicon to solar grade silicon. This method is 10 times more energy efficient as it uses the suns heat to melt silicon. It is also less environmentally polluting because the process makes the use of hazardous chemicals and precautions to make their use safe unnecessary. The cost of feedstock for solar panels can thus be reduced, as can the carbon footprint. Using CSP for purifying silicon can work well in desert areas and help ‘greening the desert’, hopefully soon.
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MIT heeft een proces ontwikkeld waabij de cel materialen eenvoudigweg worden opgedampt op PET (waterflessenplastic), zes laagjes maken samen een photovoltaische cel (niet van het typische soort, wellicht dye sensitized), of deze techniek.