New solar cell production method could be a game changer | Alternative Energy | Forums

wonder how low the prices can go

Making silicon wafers requires a lot of time and energy, and the silicon waste only adds to the expense. Silicon costs about $17 per kilogram, meaning that about $9 worth of silicon is wasted in making solar cells because the process ruins approximately half the silicon.

But the Fraunhofer researchers say they’ve solved both the waste and energy problems. “[W]e are reducing material losses by 50 percent while using 80 percent less energy,” said Stefan Janz, the lead ISE researcher on the project.

Until now, making a solar cell starts with impure silicon that’s liquefied, then purified with the addition of chlorine, creating a material known as chlorosilane. With the addition of hydrogen, chlorosilane becomes highly pure chunks of polysilicon.

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