FOOL’S GOLD FOR REAL SUN

Fool's gold catches eye of solar energy researchers; A UC Irvine team thinks iron pyrite could be a cheaper alternative to the materials now used in making solar panels.
Tiffany Hsu, January 14, 2011 (LA Times)

"Iron pyrite — also known as fool's gold — may be worthless to treasure hunters, but it could become a bonanza to the solar industry.

"The mineral, among the most abundant in the earth's crust, is usually discarded by coal miners or sold as nuggets in novelty stores…But researchers at UC Irvine said they could soon turn fool's gold into a cheaper alternative to the rare and expensive materials now used in making solar panels…"

Cheaper thin film materials could bring the cost of solar down. (click to enlarge)

"The UCI team believes the mineral can be processed into a thin film for use in photovoltaic cells, and could eventually convert sunlight into electricity…Though it's too early to estimate the cost of cells made with pyrite… they're likely to be cheaper because fool's gold is so readily available. A prototype could be ready within the year, but it could be at least three years before the cells are commercially available.

"Some industry analysts, however, are skeptical…To be successful in the market…scientists have to replicate the carefully controlled conditions of a laboratory in a factory capable of producing hundreds of thousands of panels a year, at a cost that can compete with Chinese prices."

Bringing a thin film to market is a complicated matter. (click to enlarge)

"The U.S. solar photovoltaics industry is worth at least $2 billion and growing, but not much of the cell-making process occurs domestically. Existing types of cells, such as cadmium telluride and amorphous silicon, use materials that are either very scarce, potentially toxic or not especially efficient.

"And other materials such as indium — about $300 a pound — are in high demand for use in touch screens and other tech gadgets. These so-called rare earth elements are available only from a single U.S. mine in California or from China, which is clamping down on exports of the material."