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One more: * Silicon is not a rare material. It's one of the more common elements in Earth's crust. The price is largely in processing and fabrication, meaning
by api 9y ago
One more:
* Silicon is not a rare material. It's one of the more common elements in Earth's crust. The price is largely in processing and fabrication, meaning it's going to continue to fall like a rock due to economies of scale and optimization.
- ScottBurson 9y agoSilicon of the requisite purity is not just lying around. Purifying it takes a significant amount of energy, which puts a floor under the price.
- mulmen 9y agoEnergy prices have fallen continually through human history. As our demand for energy increases we find better and better ways of harnessing available energy. This wafer technology itself could lead to reducing energy costs to a point where silicon refinement becomes economical for the production of further wafers. The availability of Silicon is not a limitation energy prices are.
- rgbrenner 9y agoenergy for industrial use costs more today than it did in 1960: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/showtext.php?t=ptb0810 https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/showtext.php?t=p...
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]