Linde backs solar photovoltaic industry to introduce energy efficiency to solar cell production

21 September 2009

Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, is encouraging the thin-film solar photovoltaic industry to shift focus from grid parity to green parity and should to address the carbon footprint of photovoltaic module manufacturing.

In a bid to reduce production costs, manufacturers must not be tempted to adopt lower cost solutions without considering the overall impact on the long term sustainability of the photovoltaic industry. Based on work by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the payback time for both crystalline silicon cells and thin-film silicon modules, in terms of CO2 equivalent emissions, is between three to four years, with an aggressive target for thin-film of one year payback.

Linde is reviewing the entire thin-film manufacturing and supply chain from a materials perspective and has identified the possibility of significant emission savings in the PECVD chamber cleaning process.

Dean O’Connor, head of electronics market development & technology at Linde Gases Division, said, ‘Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. As grid parity becomes ever closer to a reality, we as an industry need to start channelling our efforts towards reducing the carbon footprint of solar cell manufacturing. Environmental concerns continue to dominate the global agenda so green parity is an inevitable important new area of focus for suppliers and manufacturers.’

Linde supplies gas and chemicals to thin-film silicon solar cell manufacturers. The Linde Gases Division is part of The Linde Group, a gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide.

Copyright © 2009 NewNet

Tags: photovoltaic, silicon, solar

This story was published on Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Europe, North America, companies, energy efficiency, solar. You can follow any responses to article entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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