Solar Panels from Silicon Waste
Semiconductors November 9th, 2007IBM has developed a process for turning bad wafer chips into non-patterned silicon that can be used in solar panels. Defective chips can be stripped and sold instead of tossed away. Defective wafers lose money for a company and create pollution in the landfills, can help recoup some of its cost. This is great news; especially since they will be sharing this process with other chipmakers.
“The program benefits the environment in two ways — less waste is ending up in landfills, and the redirected silicon is helping to alleviate a materials shortage that is constraining the use of energy-saving solar cells.”
This is another example of convergence of technologies. I don’t know how much waste bad chips generate, but any amount can help alleviate the silicon shortage. For the full article, click here.
Mark Viquesney
November 10th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Good stuff Mark. I’ve been looking into photovoltaics for my home for a while now. I especially like these: http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17129/ However, I can’t get the numbers to work - if this helps bring the price down that is great.
November 13th, 2007 at 9:19 am
I have been wanting to put up solar shingles as well. Being in Arizona - where we have 300 days of pure sunshine, 40 days of clouds and some sun, and the rest just cloudy days - it makes sense to do it. Getting the numbers to work is the only reason I have been waiting. Three years ago it was 10 years before you broke even. Now it is down to 7-8 years. When you get decide to get them, please share with us what type you purchased and why that type.