Every little bit helps and when the little bit comes from corporate giant IBM, maybe it will add up a bit faster. Triple Pundit points us to a story about how the computer behemoth has come up with a way to easily take scrap material left over from the creation of microchips and re-purpose it so it can be used in solar energy panels. IBM says the process can save money and help satisfy the solar industry's growing appetite for silicon.
Pundit tells us what this means:
"With silicon being the limiting factor for growth in the solar industry, this is a smart solution to help curb the scarce supply of silicon in the future. With the solar industry growing at an alarming 30-40 percent each year the demands for silicon are rising rapidly and the supply is on a short leash. This is why the solar industry is fixing its eye on reclaimed silicon materials sourced primarily from the semiconductor industry. IBM intends to implement the silicon reclamation technology by the second quarter of next year at its two U.S. chip plants."
Thanks IBM for the small step. Who is next?
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