Solar Panel Rare Earth

Plenty of high tech electronic components like solar panels rechargeable batteries and complex circuits require specific rare metals.

Solar panel rare earth.

Invex news increased demand for solar panels solar panels archives steel aluminum critical materials strategy home gvs rare earths are rare earths in solar panels pv internationalhome gvs rare earthswe don t mine enough rare earth metals to replace fossil fuelssolar panels indexmundirare earth elements and role in renewable energy kernthe dark side of renewable. In 2011 the average price of rare earth metals shot up by as much as 750 percent. These can include magnetic neodymium electronic indium. However recent research coming out of the netherlands has spotted a red flag to relying on solar panels as a panacea for global emissions problems.

Neodymium is a so called rare earth element a silvery metal with a very important role. Of the commonly used batteries only nickel metal hydride nimh batteries contain a rare earth alloy on the cathode but. Manufacturing those products consumes energy and water and emits greenhouse gases. 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.

One of the latest objections to solar energy is the rare earth argument. More clean energy means more solar panels wind turbines electric vehicles and large scale batteries. There are 17 elements classified as rare earths. Like many computer products from which solar panel technology is loosely derived solar energy systems often contain rare earths.

Rare earths aren t really rare. While solar panels generate carbon free electricity they carry environmental footprints of their own. And panels can contain toxic materials or rare earth elements mined in war torn countries so called conflict minerals. 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.

Currently marketed photovoltaic solar technologies do not use rare earths. High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes.