Do Solar Panels Use Rare Earth Minerals

America rising squared report bashes evs for using same rare earth.

Do solar panels use rare earth minerals.

This means that global production of several rare earth minerals used. A scarcity of rare metals is hindering green technologies yale e360. High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes. The new photovoltaic technology uses abundant less expensive materials like copper and zinc earth abundant materials instead of indium gallium and other so called rare earth elements.

Recent advances in rare earth elements modification of inanic solar cells rare earth metals what are rare earth metals for kazspecgeology requirements for mineraletals 100 renewable scenarios how to make solar panels last longer mining. These can include magnetic neodymium electronic indium. In 2011 the average price of rare earth metals shot up by as much as 750 percent. Plenty of high tech electronic components like solar panels rechargeable batteries and complex circuits require specific rare metals.

A new report by the french environment and energy management agency ademe shows that rare earth minerals are not widely used in solar energy and battery storage technologies. Experts have found that the rare metals required to build solar panels such as indium and tellurium are not in sufficient supply to keep up with demand. And panels can contain toxic materials or rare earth elements mined in war torn countries so called conflict minerals. To meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the paris agreement renewable energy production has to scale up fast.

Increased investment in solar pvalso brings demand for the minerals in the technology including aluminum cadmium copper gallium indium iron lead nickel silica silver tellurium tin and zinc. Notice no rare earth metals in any type of commercial solar panel. Using rare metals in solar panels. Silicon aluminum silver being phased out and some still use lead tin solder.

While solar panels generate carbon free electricity they carry environmental footprints of their own. 97 of solar panels are silicon based. Thin cheap solar panels need tellurium which makes up a scant 0 0000001 percent of the earth s crust making it three times rarer than gold.