Location: CA-QC - Canada, Québec
This dataset represents the production of a multi-crystalline (or polycrystalline) silicon block. The silicon blocks are produced by melting and casting electronic-grade silicon, off-grade silicon and solar-grade silicon into quartz crucibles. This type of silicon is the starting material for the production of crystalline silicon wafers, either for electronic or for photovoltaic applications. This dataset is based on literature data.
References:
Jungbluth N., Stucki M, and Frischknecht R. (2009) Photovoltaics. In Dones, R. (Ed.) et al., Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz. ecoinvent report No. 6-XII, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH, 2009.
Undefined unit processes (UPRs) are the unlinked, multi-product activity datasets that form the basis for all of the system models available in the ecoinvent database. This is the way the datasets are obtained and entered into the database by the data providers. These activity datasets are useful for investigating the environmental impacts of a specific activity (gate-to-gate), without regard to its upstream or downstream impacts.