Aluminium usage is vital in the world's transition to clean energy usage. A World Bank report states that aluminium is the only high-impact and cross-cut metal in all potential clean power technologies. Due to its lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties, the metal is used in making solar panels.
The World Bank indicates that 85 per cent of European aluminium is used in solar panels, support structures and other solar power applications. The European Commission forecasts that European aluminium demand for solar installations will increase to 1,300,000 tonnes by 2050.
Solar energy is one of the primary renewable energy sources in sun-soaked countries like India. Currently, India stands 5th in the world in installed solar energy capacity. Aluminium is used in most clean energy technologies, especially in solar, where it accounts for 85 per cent of most photovoltaic (PV) components in the form of the frames and mounting structures that hold the PV panels together and support them.
But why the demand for aluminium on the rise is, and what does it mean for the sustainability landscape?
Why is aluminium a sought-after metal for solar system frames?
Aluminium is widely used in making solar panels and frames. Here are some reasons justifying the demand:
- Aluminium has a unique reflective property. Therefore, embedded aluminium studs can significantly increase the efficiency of solar panels.
- Aluminium frames protect the solar panel components.
- Aluminium is a sturdy, corrosion-resistant metal that increases the life of solar panels.
- Aluminium frames have good conductive properties and can be used as lightning protection during a thunderstorm.
- Aluminium is a lightweight metal that gives product innovation opportunities, such as floating photovoltaics.
Floating photovoltaics and aluminium:
Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or photovoltaics, is an emerging technology in which solar PV systems float upon bodies of water. SolarDuck, a Dutch offshore floating solar company, launched its floating solar solution in April 2021. The triangular photovoltaic-covered three-sided structure comprised 3.5 tonnes of fabricated aluminium profiles sourced from Hydro. Each side is approximately 16 metres long.
The aluminium panels and structures keep the solar panel three metres above the water level. Koen Burgers, the CEO of SolarDuck, said that to accomplish the structure, they need a lightweight material, and aluminium checks all the boxes. They were also looking for offshore grade aluminium, so the structures stay afloat for 30 years. A year after the company tested the first module of floating photovoltaics, around April 2022, it was disclosed that SolarDuck secured €4M from a consortium of venture capitalists and strategic investors from the renewable energy industry to commercialise the models by 2023.
Is aluminium posing a sustainability challenge for the solar energy sector? What is the way out?
The solar energy sector needs aluminium. Unfortunately, experts worry that it might jeopardise the sustainability goals because the aluminium production method is energy-intensive, and the carbon footprint is high. Research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) indicates that the aluminium in solar panels will need to be made sustainably to minimise panels’ emissions.
As the demand for aluminium in the renewable energy sector will increase, so will the emissions rate if corrective measures are not implemented soon. However, the good news is that the pressing need for climate preservation and transformation is forcing manufacturers to adopt low-carbon production methods, renewable energy as a power source, and techniques to decarbonise the overall industry.
Additionally, most of the aluminium produced is recyclable, and secondary aluminium production is gaining prominence. Therefore the end-of-life handling for solar panels is far more straightforward and can be recycled into extruded aluminium.
