Commercial
Solar Power
其定义
CdTe uses a fraction of the semiconductor mass of silicon and needs almost no silver. Its ceiling is tellurium: annual world supply is around a thousand tonnes, all of it a copper by-product.
材料清单
放大规模 →数量为 per MW of capacity参考区间
将这些数据理解为"大致如此，存在一定误差"。每家制造商的设计各有不同，且随着工程师逐步减少对高价物料的用量，数据会随时间下降。
| 材料 | 低 | 高 | 单位 | 基准 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 关键 | 3,000 | 7,000 | kg | Mounting |
| Soda Ash | 1,500 | 3,000 | kg | Glass superstrate |
| Cadmium | 25.00 | 60.00 | kg | Semiconductor layer |
| Tellurium 关键 Scale is limited by copper-refining by-product supply. | 25.00 | 60.00 | kg | Semiconductor layer |
Indicative range compiled from published technology studies and chemistry; verify against a manufacturer specification before use. 标注为"微量"的行表示该物料含量极低，无法以质量形式有效表达——其制约因素在于纯度或供应商数量，而非吨位。
替代方案
替代是材料领域最被低估的力量。当某种金属价格高涨或在政治上难以获取时，工程师便会绕开它进行设计——整座矿山的需求可能因此消失殆尽。
Crystalline Silicon Solar Module
The standard solar panel: silicon wafers, silver contact paste, glass and an aluminium frame.
Gallium Nitride Power Device
A switch that turns on and off far faster than silicon, so power supplies can shrink.
Leading-Edge Logic Chip
The most advanced processors, built on wafers that pass through hundreds of process steps.