Rare Earth Metals For Solar Panels

These can include magnetic neodymium electronic indium.

Rare earth metals for solar panels.

To meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the paris agreement renewable energy production has to scale up fast. 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. Plenty of high tech electronic components like solar panels rechargeable batteries and complex circuits require specific rare metals. However a lack of rare earths does not mean that the components of solar modules are harmless.

Thin film pv technologies for example contain potentially critical metals such as tellurium. 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. 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.

High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes. Rare metals are especially vital for renewable energy technologies such as electric cars and solar panels. When combined with iron and boron. This means that global production of several rare earth minerals used.

For example a single tesla vehicle requires about 15 pounds or a bowling ball s worth of lithium and thin cheap solar panels need tellurium one of the rarest elements on earth.