Siemens and Siemens-like Processes for Producing Photovoltaics: Energy Payback Time and Lifetime Carbon Emissions

Abstract

Carbon emissions will be reduced further with PVs manufactured using REC's FBR silicon. Use of that silicon in 2011 is expected to reduce the embodied energy from 999 kWh/m2 to 788 kWh/m2, a reduction of approximately 20%. That reduction in embodied energy is expected to translate to a similar reduction in the lifetime carbon emission from 21 g/kWh to 17 g/kWh. Elkem Solar has developed a metallurgical process for producing solar silicon.