Featured in Going global – 09-2022

Loose threads

Material sustainability is fast rising up the solar and energy storage agendas. Increasing amounts of renewables, the electrification of sectors like transport, and a critical supply chain situation are just some of the reasons why. In Q4 2022, the UP Initiative is delving into the world of resources to find out what is being done to address these challenges. Of particular interest are steel, aluminum, glass, and precious metals like silver, copper, and cobalt.

By

Becky Beetz

06 Sep 2022

UNSW’s Alison Lennon and her colleagues are focusing on developing high-efficiency, sustainable cell technologies. Their research suggests that heterojunction offers high efficiency and a good path to tandem cells with even higher performance, while the silver could be replaced with copper pastes and plating. | Image: Meyer Burger

By 2050, the world should have installed at least 60 TW of solar and more than 200 GW/1,200 GWh of energy storage, if current projections are to be realized, thus meeting around 70% of the world’s total primary energy demand. By then, the electrification of industries like transport and heating should also have evolved, helping …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.