Rare Earth Used In Solar Panels

Rare earth metals hard to find materials with unfamiliar names such as lanthanum neodymium and europium are used in wind and solar energy projects but dwindling supplies could hindera roll out of low carbon technologies and slow china s shift away from coal power.

Rare earth used in solar panels. Invex news increased demand for solar panels solar panels archives steel aluminum critical materials strategy home gvs rare earths are rare earths in solar panels pv internationalhome gvs rare earthswe don t mine enough rare earth metals to replace fossil fuelssolar panels indexmundirare earth elements and role in renewable energy kernthe dark side of renewable. 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. Neodymium is used in wind turbines and hybrid cars. Of the commonly used batteries only nickel metal hydride nimh batteries contain a rare earth alloy on the cathode but.

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. Terbium and europium are used in thin film solar panels while dysprosium is used to manufacture batteries in most hybrid gas electric vehicles. High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes. In 2011 the average price of rare earth metals shot up by as much as 750 percent.

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. A new report by the french environment and energy management agency ademe shows that rare earth minerals are not widely used in solar energy and battery storage technologies.