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by atemerev 3252 days ago
Like I said -- only if you disregard the environmental impact and account for reusing the scraps from microelectronics industry (which is a good thing, sure -- but can't be expanded much). Crystalline silicon production is messy.
2 comments
maxerickson 3251 days ago
Isn't PV a primary market for silicon? Sure looks like it:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polysilicon_prices_h...

(the price drop is mostly a result of pretty big increases in production)

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lz400 3251 days ago
Environmental impact of PV is negligible compared with the alternatives, especially fossil fuels.
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atemerev 3251 days ago
Well, fossil fuels are not an option anyway, but going full nuclear with closed cycle is much cheaper and environmentally safe. The only problem are proliferation concerns...
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lz400 3251 days ago
I disagree. I don't even think nuclear waste is that big of a problem. I think at this point is a efficiency and engineering issue. From 2010 to 2017 the $/Mhw projections in Solar have gone down by 81% while in Nuclear it was only 19%. Wind 63%. PV is lower than nuclear now. Estimates for 2022 are even more difference. Nuclear is just not worth it at this point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

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