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Study finds symbiosis leads to cheap solar energy

Clarion University has completed a study that points the way to a future powered by inexpensive and environmentally friendly solar energy. The study, “Industrial symbiosis of very large-scale photovoltaic manufacturing”, written by Joshua M. Pearce, assistant professor of physics, was published in the international journal Renewable Energy, Volume 33 (2008) pages 1101–1108.

In order to stabilize the global climate, the world’s governments must make significant commitments to drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

“One of the most promising methods of curbing greenhouse gas emissions is a world transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy,” said Pearce. “Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, offer a technically sustainable solution to the projected enormous future energy demands.”

Clarion University is already demonstrating this technology with a solar cell tracking unit next to the Public Safety office. Soon the University will also have a solar powered science and technology building.

“Unfortunately, solar cells are expensive compared to the heavily subsidized and dismally polluting coal industry,” said Pearce. “This study explored utilizing industrial symbiosis to obtain economies of scale and increased manufacturing efficiencies for solar PV cells. With the economy of scale solar electricity could compete economically with fossil fuel-fired electricity - with or without subsidies.”

Industrial symbiosis engages traditionally separate industries in a collective approach to competitive advantage involving physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and/or by-products.

“A great example of the beginning of industrial symbiosis locally is the collaboration at Clarion Boards,” said Pearce. “The board plant provides raw material (medium density fiber board) to make laminate flooring at the flooring plant.”

In a more mature industrial relationship, the board plant could eliminate the use of toxic formaldehyde-based resins, thus not only making their products non-toxic and cutting costs for pollution control, but also making it possible to safely return the saw dust from the flooring plant to use in the board plant’s boilers.

“The keys to industrial symbiosis are collaboration and the synergistic possibilities offered by geographic proximity – and in the Clarion case the transportation costs between the board and laminate plants are essentially zero,” said Pearce. “Industrial symbiosis is much more popular in Europe than in the U.S. If we are going to continue to compete internationally, our businesses cannot go it alone – they must team up and work together symbiotically to turn traditional waste products into new revenue streams.

“In this study the technical requirements for a symbiotic industrial system are explored to increase the manufacturing efficiency while improving the environmental impact of solar photovoltaic cells. 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. Symbiotic growth will help to mitigate many of the limitations of solar and is likely to catalyze mass manufacturing of solar cells by transparently demonstrating that large-scale PV manufacturing is technically feasible and reaches an enormous untapped market for solar energy with low costs.”

For more information see: doi:10.1016/j.renene.2007.07.002 www.clarion.edu/energy; or contact Joshua M. Pearce, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physics, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

106 Peirce Science Center, Clarion, PA 16214, phone (814)393-2713, or email: jpearce@clarion.edu.

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