One of the factors hindering the popularization of solar panels is their cost. But it is possible that in future this situation will change, as Antony Cox, University of Cambridge has developed a system for producing silicon with sufficient quality to produce photovoltaic panels 80% more efficient in terms of quality and price . The process also produces a 90% less CO 2 than those normally used, is based on a previous process known as FFC Cambridge and could lead to a new generation of solar panels cheaper.



No one doubts that solar energy has the potential to replace the burning of fossil fuels in producing electricity. But today is still more profitable to extract oil or burn coal to generate electricity to install solar panels. The cost, a factor that is very difficult to set aside when designing a power generating facility, may begin to tip the balance toward the side of the photovoltaic panels if they significantly reduced price. In this sense, a new production process quality silicon to manufacture solar panels has been tuned by Antony Cox, University of Cambridge. The new system, which allows for solar grade silicon is 80% more efficient (in terms of energy consumption and costs) and produces 90% less CO2. It is based on a procedure known as FFC Cambridge, developed by Professor Derek Fray and colleagues at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Cambridge, but first applied to silicon. It is in the final stages of research and development.

Silicon is the material used in photovoltaic cells, so continually looking for new processes to produce what the manufacturers called solar grade silicon. But Cox says it almost always comes to manufacturing processes that "require a lot of energy, are extremely complex and fail to become a business process." The manufacturing methods used to produce silicon generate about 10 tons of CO2 per tonne of silicon produced, and the refinement stage generates another 45 tonnes of CO2 and other toxic gases. It does not take a genius to note that, although solar energy is known for being clean and renewable technology used in the manufacture of photovoltaic panels necessary to take advantage is far from being environmentally correct. According to Cox, "it is ironic that the process used in the manufacture of 95% required by the industry silicon photovoltaic panels produced need to work for about six years to produce the same amount of energy used to manufacture them."

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