Silicon Story

I listen to Minnesota Public Radio and often hear a snippet of a news bit that is presented by National Public Radio. More often than not many of those snippets are not covered at length. The snippet stated that a shortage of silicon (an important component in the manufacture of solar cells) is the primary cause to high cost of photovoltaic panels.

Silicon is a natural mineral element that is listed on the Periodic Table. Silicon is readily available in sand. There is not a shortage of sand. If there is ever a shortage of sand Saudi Arabia will control another energy market.

I believe that often the main stream media* publishes stories that are not researched and are often fillers to consume time. One should not be to concerned about a “filler piece” but; the next day while enjoying tea at the local coffee shop one of the regular coffee shop customers began a conversation with me pertaining to solar cells.

The economics of appropriate energy is brought up. The economics of appropriate energy is what most peoples retort to why they don't use any. As I add my arguments to defend my pro electrical energy production via Photovoltaic, my opponent states “...the shortage of silicon is making solar panels to expensive to manufacture”.

That statement is made by only one person but, how many other people heard that NPR statement and concluded that appropriate energy is not an answer to our energy predicament? Also what other media added that same filler to their broadcasts?

Most explanations about scientific technologies is not comprehended because of the lengthy diatribe needed to describe natural scientific law and its connection to topic in question. Most people have forgotten what they learned in their science classes.

Silicon is used to manufacture solar cells. Silicon is a semi-conductor. Semi-conductor means that the substance labeled as such may conduct electric current under certain conditions.

There are metal particles added to the silicon to capture the electrons and protons that are in the sun's rays. The adding of metals particles to silicon is called doping.

The metals are added to the silicon to attract both positive charge and negative charged atoms. Do recall that opposites attract. In a solar cell there are two ultra thin silicon “doped” slices; one attracts the positive charge photons the other negative charged photons from the sun's waves.

The news article stating that the high price of photovoltaic panels is attributed to shortage of silicon misses the mark. The main expense in the production of photovoltaic panels is the manufacturing of the silicon semi-conductors.

The silicon is mixed into a liquid form then poured into a cylindric elongated form. When the silicon solidifies it is cut into thin slices that allow the electronic waves from the sun to be separated into positive and negative charges in the solar cell. Here is the part of the manufacturing process that makes Photovoltaic panels expensive.

Slicing the silicon to 1/100^th of an inch requires precision equipment. The equipment that have the capability to slice the silicon are expensive because the slicing machines are not mass produced primarily because there is not a mass market.

One other reason Photovoltaic panels are expensive is due to patent rights. What corporation holds the patent to the silicon slicing equipment and the silicon processing systems?

I can make recommendations to correct the market inequalities that Photovoltaic manufacturers face but corporate rights will be infringed. My rights to clean air and potable water are being infringed by the same corporations that hold the patents to produce the cleanest production of electric power.

One needs to be careful of the news snippets. The snippets are there to fill time,not to inform with full coverage. People wonder why voting is becoming passe'. Uninformed, misinformed and, preformed are the intellectual status of the majority of Americans and the mainstream media is partially to blame for it.

*MPR and NPR are considered “main stream”only without commercials

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