The World's Massive Need For More Solar Panels Has One Shiny Catch
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/
According to the International Energy Agency, solar panels are predicted to provide roughly a third of the world's total electricity demand by 2050. In 2019, just over 2 percent of global electricity came from solar - but solar is producing the cheapest electricity in history and renewable energy is being installed at a record rate. Unlike more precious metals, such as the lithium and cobalt used in rechargeable batteries, the scarcity of aluminum is not the issue; in fact, it is the most abundant metal on Earth. But the production of pure aluminum which is used in solar panel frames comes with a huge energy cost that could translate to bulk emissions.