Fully 75% of today's PV manufacturing is based on silicon—for good reason.
Abundant Natural Resource
Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe and the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust (25.7% by weight), and is commonly found in sand and silica-rich rocks such as granite, quartz, and sandstone.
Leading semiconductor
Silicon serves as the solar industry’s semi-conductor of choice since Bell Labs invented the solar cell circa 1954 and is positioned to remain so into the foreseeable future.
Balance of system efficiencies
Approximately 50% of the cost of installed solar systems involve "balance of system" components. silicon’s widespread use and higher energy-conversion efficiency will help lower these BOS costs even further.