Rare Earth Metals In Solar Panels

Rare earths hasting technology metals signs third offtake agreement.

Rare earth metals in solar panels.

However a lack of rare earths does not mean that the components of solar modules are harmless. We ve found a new source for rare earth elements need green. If solar panels are so clean why do they produce much toxic waste. 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. This means that global production of several rare earth minerals used in solar panels and wind turbines especially neodymium terbium indium dysprosium and praseodymium must grow twelvefold by. Thin film pv technologies for example contain potentially critical metals such as tellurium. 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.

Using rare metals in solar panels.