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Industrial symbiosis of very large-scale photovoltaic manufacturing

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  • Pearce, Joshua M.

Abstract

In order to stabilize the global climate, the world's governments must make significant commitments to drastically reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One of the most promising methods of curbing GHG emissions is a world transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells offer a technically sustainable solution to the projected enormous future energy demands. This article explores utilizing industrial symbiosis to obtain economies of scale and increased manufacturing efficiencies for solar PV cells in order for solar electricity to compete economically with fossil fuel-fired electricity. The state of PV manufacturing, the market and the effects of scale on both are reviewed. Government policies necessary to construct a multi-gigaWatt PV factory and complementary policies to protect existing solar companies are outlined and the technical requirements for a symbiotic industrial system are explored to increase the manufacturing efficiency while improving the environmental impact of PV. The results of the analysis show that an eight-factory industrial symbiotic system can be viewed as a medium-term investment by any government, which will not only obtain direct financial return, but also an improved global environment. The technical concepts and policy limitations to this approach were analyzed and it was found that symbiotic growth will help to mitigate many of the limitations of PV and is likely to catalyze mass manufacturing of PV by transparently demonstrating that large-scale PV manufacturing is technically feasible and reaches an enormous untapped market for PV with low costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Pearce, Joshua M., 2008. "Industrial symbiosis of very large-scale photovoltaic manufacturing," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 1101-1108.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:33:y:2008:i:5:p:1101-1108
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2007.07.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Ranisau & Mohammed Barbouti & Aaron Trainor & Nidhi Juthani & Yaser K. Salkuyeh & Azadeh Maroufmashat & Michael Fowler, 2017. "Power-to-Gas Implementation for a Polygeneration System in Southwestern Ontario," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Koami Soulemane Hayibo & Pierce Mayville & Ravneet Kaur Kailey & Joshua M. Pearce, 2020. "Water Conservation Potential of Self-Funded Foam-Based Flexible Surface-Mounted Floatovoltaics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-24, November.
    3. Branker, K. & Pearce, J.M., 2010. "Financial return for government support of large-scale thin-film solar photovoltaic manufacturing in Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 4291-4303, August.
    4. Prehoda, Emily W. & Schelly, Chelsea & Pearce, Joshua M., 2017. "U.S. strategic solar photovoltaic-powered microgrid deployment for enhanced national security," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 167-175.
    5. Dong, Liang & Liang, Hanwei & Zhang, Liguo & Liu, Zhaowen & Gao, Zhiqiu & Hu, Mingming, 2017. "Highlighting regional eco-industrial development: Life cycle benefits of an urban industrial symbiosis and implications in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 361(C), pages 164-176.
    6. R. Andrews & J.M. Pearce, 2011. "Environmental and Economic Assessment of a Greenhouse Waste Heat Exchange," Post-Print hal-02120486, HAL.
    7. Kreiger, M.A. & Shonnard, D.R. & Pearce, J.M., 2013. "Life cycle analysis of silane recycling in amorphous silicon-based solar photovoltaic manufacturing," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 44-49.
    8. repec:lib:000cis:v:2:y:2014:i:1:p:30-40 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. K. Branker & E. Shackles & J. M. Pearce, 2011. "Peer-to-peer financing mechanisms to accelerate renewable energy deployment," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 138-155, April.
    10. Mundada, Aishwarya S. & Shah, Kunal K. & Pearce, J.M., 2016. "Levelized cost of electricity for solar photovoltaic, battery and cogen hybrid systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 692-703.
    11. Lloyd, Bob & Forest, Andrew S., 2010. "The transition to renewables: Can PV provide an answer to the peak oil and climate change challenges?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 7378-7394, November.
    12. Zelenika-Zovko, I. & Pearce, J.M., 2011. "Diverting indirect subsidies from the nuclear industry to the photovoltaic industry: Energy and financial returns," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2626-2632, May.
    13. Branker, K. & Pathak, M.J.M. & Pearce, J.M., 2011. "A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4470-4482.
    14. Focacci, Antonio, 2009. "Residential plants investment appraisal subsequent to the new supporting photovoltaic economic mechanism in Italy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(9), pages 2710-2715, December.
    15. Joshua Pearce, 2009. "Increasing PV Velocity by Reinvesting the Nuclear Energy Insurance Subsidy into Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic Production," Post-Print hal-02120510, HAL.
    16. Li, Nan & Liu, Cengceng & Zha, Donglan, 2016. "Performance evaluation of Chinese photovoltaic companies with the input-oriented dynamic SBM model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 489-497.
    17. Chelsea Schelly, 2015. "Frameworks for Understanding and Promoting Solar Energy Technology Development," Resources, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-15, February.
    18. Thavasi, V. & Ramakrishna, S., 2009. "Asia energy mixes from socio-economic and environmental perspectives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4240-4250, November.
    19. Dong, Liang & Gu, Fumei & Fujita, Tsuyoshi & Hayashi, Yoshitsugu & Gao, Jie, 2014. "Uncovering opportunity of low-carbon city promotion with industrial system innovation: Case study on industrial symbiosis projects in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 388-397.

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