SolarCycle 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 the production of solar glass at its factory in Cedartown, Georgia.
Soda ash. Credit: Genesis Alkali
Soda ash is an essential raw material used in solar glass production. According to Genesis Alkali, naturally produced soda ash is approximately 37% less greenhouse-gas-intensive than compared to synthetically produced soda ash that is used by most solar glass producers overseas. Ecosoda, produced at Genesis Alkali’s recently expanded Granger, Wyoming, facility, has an even lower greenhouse gas footprint than traditionally mined natural soda ash due to its proprietary solution mining and processing technology that was originally developed by Genesis Alkali and its predecessor companies over 25 years ago. SolarCycle will combine Ecosoda with glass from recycled solar panels to produce domestic ultra-low carbon 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 been operating for over 75 years,” said Ed Flynn, President of Genesis Alkali. “This agreement with SolarCycle is a direct result of the investments we have made in our Granger facility to increase the production of low-carbon Ecosoda to meet the growing demand from soda ash customers around the world who are looking to reduce their Scope 3 GHG emissions.”
SolarCycle announced its 5-GW solar glass factory in Cedartown, Georgia, earlier this year. The factory positions the company as the first in North America to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to make new solar glass. By using locally produced materials and recycled glass, SolarCycle will save material costs, eliminate shipping and trade risks, and reduce energy consumption. These benefits allow the company to manufacture American-made solar glass that can compete with imported solar glass.
The glass will be sold directly to domestic solar manufacturers and fill a critical gap in the country’s supply chain to build more solar panels in America.
“Producing high-performance solar glass in Cedartown, Georgia, will help America re-shore a critical piece of the solar supply chain. It will also reduce trade risk, promote innovation, and help solar manufacturers looking to benefit from domestic content clean energy tax credits,” said Suvi Sharma, CEO and co-founder of SolarCycle. “Our agreement with Genesis Alkali is a key part of onshoring the supply chain to build solar in the U.S.”
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