Rare Earth Metals For Solar Panels

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Rare earth metals for solar panels. These can include magnetic neodymium electronic indium. This means that global production of several rare earth minerals used. To meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the paris agreement renewable energy production has to scale up fast. Plenty of high tech electronic components like solar panels rechargeable batteries and complex circuits require specific rare metals.

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. In 2011 the average price of rare earth metals shot up by as much as 750 percent. However a lack of rare earths does not mean that the components of solar modules are harmless. 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.

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. 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. Rare metals are especially vital for renewable energy technologies such as electric cars and solar panels. High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes.

When combined with iron and boron.