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All materials come from natural resources and eventually return to those natural resources. As solar power grows globally the demand for solar cell materials may grow to unsustainable limits. Many common earth abundant materials that already exist act as semiconductors and may serve as excellent solar cell materials. The proposed elements are numerous and similar in composition to earth abundant semiconductors like Copper Oxide, Zinc Oxide (, and Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (. We will examine and evaluate these materials based on sustainability throughout the lifetime of the solar cell product. MATLAB and other computer simulation software will be utilized to collect, organize and chart promising solar cell materials, then simulate life cycle assessments (LCA). LCA’s evaluating material costs, total emissions and recyclability potential will be generated based on present and conducted research collected within the study. Research findings will provide top candidates for comparison against today’s standard silicon solar cells for both theoretical and physical testing including solar power generation efficiency and manufacturing costs. Materials emphasized in this research could eventually lead to breakthroughs in reduced manufacturing costs, recyclable solar cells and shorter payback windows for active solar panels.

Keywords: Earth Abundant Materials, Solar Cells, Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainable.

Introduction

Purpose

This proposal offers an alternative-energy solution path to the Roadrunner Research company.

Background

Solar energy is one of many new technologies that offer a cleaner alternative to energy production. Solar cells are expensive to manufacture, though, in terms of both resources and energy expended (Thiel). Thus, any assessment of the environmental impact of the use of solar cells must take into consideration all factors related to their production when evaluating the benefits. An LCA is appropriate in this case, so that the steep initial costs of making solar cells can be weighed against the long-term benefits of their use. Production costs can range from the straightforward materials and energy input required to the secondary environmental impacts that result from this production (Chen). While it is straightforward enough to evaluate the effects of the former, the latter is more difficult to resolve. But our proposal aims to help solve this more difficult problem by testing the viability of solar cell production using environmentally-friendly earth abundant materials.

Photovoltaic cells are traditionally made of silicon based semiconductor materials. As solar power grows globally the demand for these materials may grow to unsustainable limits. In addition, Silicon solar cells can be associated with harsh manufacturing costs to the environment and although according to Chen (2015) their payback time is continually improving, better alternatives are available and waiting to be developed further. Metal oxides are more readily available because they are based on abundant earth metals (Scragg, 2008, 1773). Using oxide substitutions for standard semiconductors could greatly improve sustainability. We propose further in depth analysis on these earth abundant materials and the development of a database that records and organizes the viability of their use in production.

Scope

A full LCA can not be conducted on these materials until they are actually implemented into solar panels and have reached end of life conditions. Our intention are not to try to conduct a full theoretical LCA, but to conduct research related to the operation of the LCA on material sources, environmental retrieval costs and energy consumption related to processing and purification of materials before they are built into solar panels.

Discussion

Approach

Part A:

Over half of our proposal will be research on the topics of specific materials sustainability. This will be conducted by collecting data and organizing a database of studies related to this subject of earth abundant materials. Our database will be organized into three main categories; Natural abundance, cost of mining and retrieval and cost of purification. Natural abundance and cost of mining and retrieval will both be evaluated based collected research materials while cost of purification will involve both research materials and theoretical calculation. Cost of purification will require these calculations because the solar cells proposed with these materials will require very pure concentrations of these materials so that they can consistently be manipulated predictably and accurately in solar cell production.

Part B:

Theoretical calculations of the efficiency of two proposed earth abundant solar cell materials will be calculated. As control subjects and for theoretical comparison, energy generation efficiencies of both multicrystalline silicon and monocrystalline silicon will be conducted alongside earth abundant materials calculations. These calculations will involve complex, non simplifiable equations and many material constants based on materials properties. Efficiency calculations will therefore be conducted purely within MATLAB and the approach will also involve the program development for these calculation models.

Part A and part B of our approach will be unrelated categorically and sequentially. These two topics are related but will be developed simultaneously and will not require calculations from the other.

Results:

Our developments will provide a database for beginning of life materials sustainability within solar cell production. This will be created with the intention of use and further development by solar energy industries and related research groups as more promising solar cell materials come to light and are developed further. Materials analyzed for energy efficiency will provide clear development paths for solar companies and investors looking for efficient and sustainable long term solutions. The full intention of both the database and materials efficiency analysis is to create a platform that will eventually provide easily accessible, accurate and transparent information for faster and higher accuracy LCA analysis and sustainability in a wide range of science fields.

Statement of Work

Part A)

1. Research and collect data on the LCA of Copper ( 4 weeks )

2. Research and collect data on the LCA of Zinc ( 4 weeks )

3. Research and collect data on the LCA of Tin ( 4 weeks )

4. Research and collect data on the LCA of Sulfur ( 4 weeks )

5. Research and collect data on LCA of Monocrystalline Silicon()

6. Research and collect data on LCA of Multicrystalline Silicon()

Part B)

7. Calculate the efficiency from Copper Oxide/Zinc Oxide alloy( 8 weeks )

8. Calculate the efficiency from Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide alloy. ( 8 weeks )

9. Compare efficiency to Monocrystalline and Multicrystalline Silicon()

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Conclusion Comment by Bram Hardenbrook: Ahmad

Summary

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Bram Xukuri Hardenbrook

312 Briarcliff Road Dayton, Ohio 45415 [email protected] 937-469-0221

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AARON EBERHART

203 Russ Engineering Center, Wright State University [email protected] 937-369-7493

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JUSTIN D. LIMING

3730 Straley Rd. [email protected] 937-668-6358

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REFERENCES: AVALIBLE UPON REQUEST

AHMAD Y BOZUBER

203 Russ Engineering Center, Wright State University [email protected] 720-251-5967

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