Solar cycle has entered into a multi-year agreement with Genesis Alkali to purchase Ecosoda, a low-carbon natural soda ash produced near Green River, Wyoming, for use in solar glass production at the Cedartown, Georgia plant.
Sodium carbonate. Credit: Genesis Alkali
Sodium carbonate is an essential raw material used in the production of solar glass. According to Genesis Alkali, naturally produced soda ash is approximately 37% less greenhouse gas intensive than synthetically produced soda ash used by most solar glass manufacturers abroad. Ecosoda, produced at Genesis Alkali’s newly expanded facility in Granger, Wyoming, has an even lower greenhouse gas footprint than traditionally mined natural soda ash thanks to proprietary mining and processing technology originally developed over 25 years by Genesis Alkali and its predecessor companies. past. SolarCycle will combine Ecosoda with glass from recycled solar panels to produce ultra-low carbon household solar glass.
“Genesis Alkali is uniquely positioned to reliably supply SolarCycle from our Trona mining and processing sites near Green River, Wyoming, where we have operated for more than 75 years,” said Ed Flynn, president of Genesis Alkali. “This agreement with SolarCycle is a direct result of the investments we have made at our Granger plant to increase production of low-carbon Ecosoda to meet the growing demand from soda ash customers around the world who are meeting their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions want to reduce.”
SolarCycle announced its 5-GW solar glass factory in Cedartown, Georgia earlier this year. The plant positions the company as the first in North America to use recycled materials from old solar panels to make new solar glass. By using locally sourced materials and recycled glass, SolarCycle saves material costs, eliminates transportation and trade risks and reduces energy consumption. These advantages allow the company to produce American-made solar glass that can compete with imported solar glass.
The glass will be sold directly to domestic solar manufacturers and will fill a critical gap in the country’s supply chain to build more solar panels in America.
“The production of high-quality solar glass in Cedartown, Georgia, will help America resupply a critical part of the solar energy supply chain. It will also reduce trade risk, promote innovation and help solar manufacturers looking to take advantage of domestic tax credits for clean energy,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and co-founder of SolarCycle. “Our agreement with Genesis Alkali is an important part of unearthing the solar construction supply chain in the U.S.”
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