Critical Minerals and Renewable Energy

This set of flashcards captures key concepts related to critical minerals and their importance in renewable energy technologies, including challenges and considerations in the mining process.

In negotiations regarding rare earth elements, countries may use __ to influence tariff decisions.

concessions

The mining of rare earth elements typically involves __ removal mining due to their distribution.

mountaintop

__ have a critical role in the production of advanced technologies like wind turbines and solar panels.

Rare earth minerals

Trump's desire to purchase __ was significantly influenced by its deposits of rare earth minerals.

Greenland

The __ of bats is significantly impacted by collisions with wind turbines.

population recovery

During nesting season, some wind turbines are __ to protect young birds from collisions.

shut off

The most common element used in solar energy panels that generates electric charge when exposed to sunlight is __.

silicon

In order to improve the efficiency of solar panels, silicon is often __ with boron.

doped

The most conductive element used in energy panels is __.

silver

The extensive mining required for critical minerals raises __ and environmental concerns.

cultural

Passive solar systems utilize the sun's energy to maintain temperatures without reliance on __.

electric grids

Solar panels can contribute energy back to the electric grid, functioning as a form of __ energy production.

crowdsourced

The term __ refers to the ratio of the energy returned from a resource relative to the energy invested in obtaining it.

EROI (energy return on investment)

Hydropower is often considered the most efficient source of energy due to its high __ value.

EROI (energy return on investment)