Net Energy Analysis for Sustainable Energy Production From Silicon Based Solar Cells

Abstract

A number of detailed studies on the energy requirements on the three types of photovoltaic (PV) materials, which make up the majority of the active solar market: single crystal, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon were reviewed. It was found that modern PV cells based on these silicon technologies pay for themselves in terms of energy in a few years (1–5 years). They thus generate enough energy over their lifetimes to reproduce themselves many times (6–31 reproductions) depending on what type of material, balance of system, and the geographic location of the system. It was found that regardless of material, built-in PV systems are a superior ecological choice to centralized PV plants. Finally, the results indicate that efficiency plays a secondary role to embodied energy in the overall net energy production of modern solar cells.

Open Source Laser Polymer Welding System: Design and Characterization of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Multilayer Welds

“…The low mass allows a significantly diminished supporting structure and the flexible nature of the system allows for designed yield to oncoming waves while maintaining electrical performance [44]. This enables FV to take advantage of the superior net energy production of thin film PV materials like amorphous silicon [45,46]. To maintain the flexibility and long term structural integrity of the module, thin-films should be encapsulated by a polymer with high transparency, low rigidity, and be waterproof [42], and during the encapsulation process air pockets or voids can be purposefully introduced to increase buoyancy without increasing mass [44].…”

Towards real energy economics: Energy policy driven by life-cycle carbon emission

“…Using the carbon-neutral growth rate in equation 10, the carbon mitigation potential for a solar photovoltaic electricity plant would be higher if it were commissioned in China. Individual sub-technologies such as crystalline silicon PV and thin-film PV will also have different effects when installed in each electricity grid compared to the entire technical grouping of photovoltaics because of their different embodied energies, responses, and efficiencies (Pearce & Lau, 2002).…”

Industrial symbiosis of very large-scale photovoltaic manufacturing

“…The newspapers would again come from the recycling plant (1) and the cardboard could come from a cardboard plant (8), which would gain its raw materials from the recycling factory (1).…”

“…Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, offer a technically feasible and environmentally sustainable solution to our enormous future energy needs [7]. PV fabrication does entail use of energy and with the current energy blend this is equivalent to GHG emissions, but the energy payback time for modern solar cells is a fraction of their total lifetime so they are net CO 2 sinks [8]. With existing technologies, readily available materials, and current conversion efficiencies found in manufactured modules, an insignificant fraction of terrestrially available sunlight is needed to power the global society [7].…”