But this quartz is vital tothe solar industrytoo.
Those rods are cut into the solar wafers that are further processed to produce the cells within panels.
Forming solar ingotsrequires heating polysiliconto over 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Solar panels.© © Toni007 ca/Wikimedia
There, purity is particularly important for ensuring high ingot yields and long crucible lifespans.
The amount of quartz required to support solar crucible production is fairly small.
That same year,global polysilicon productionstood at 1.52 million metric tons.
Producing that much polysilicon likely required about 3 million metric tons of quartz, according to Chase.
Still, a small cog can become a big problem if there are no contingencies when it breaks down.
In preparation for Hurricane Helene, The Quartz Corp halted all mining operations in Spruce Pine on September 26th.
So did the Belgian firm Sibelco, the towns other producer.
Our dedicated teams are on-site, conducting cleanup, the statement noted.
Our final product stock has not been impacted.
Even if both mines remain shuttered for months, the solar industry could adapt, Chase said.
However, production would need to ramp up.
Paying a premium for synthetic quartz would be a challenge for the price-sensitive solar industry, Chase said.
But if it had no choice, it would do it.
We have the people who need the jobs here, he added.
This article originally appeared inGrist.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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