Exploring a solar photovoltaic-based energy solution for green manufacturing industry

A large amount of electricity is required to support the operation of large manufacturing facilities. Integrating renewable energy into the manufacturing industry reduces the carbon footprint and ensures the long-term sustainability. A key challenge in deploying renewable technology is the power volatility. We propose a solar photovoltaic-based co-generation system to accommodate the electricity needs of semiconductor wafer fabs. The problem is formulated as a stochastic programming model with the goal to minimize the system cost subject to the loss-of-load probability constraint. We compare the renewable energy yield and the system cost at five different wafer fabs in the U.S. Given appropriate tax incentives or equipment subsidies, the study shows that the solar-based energy solution is economically competitive in regions where the overcast days are less than 35% of the year.