How to use this in class

Dominant lever at each cell

Homework: pick one cell and rewrite the lever in your own field’s language. Peer debate: “Which sector’s stage-N opportunity is highest leverage?”

Stage ↓ / Sector → ☀️ Solar PV 🧵 Textiles 🚗 Electric Vehicles
01 · Product Design Cell architecture ladder (PERC → TOPCon → HJT → tandem); bifaciality. Mono-material + design for recycled input; durability brief. LFP vs NMC; cell-to-pack; modular pack for second-life.
02 · Extraction / Agri FBR vs Siemens polysilicon (−80–90% electricity). Better Cotton / recycled cotton / lyocell vs CS₂ viscose. LFP removes Co/Ni; DLE for lithium where feasible.
03 · Production Decarbonise cell-plant electricity; relocate to hydro/wind. Waterless CO₂ dyeing; bio-MEG; efficiency curve. Renewables-powered cell plants; LFP footprint edge.
04 · Distribution Local module assembly — resilience > carbon. Near-shore / regional finishing hubs. Sea/rail only; co-locate pack assembly in markets.
05 · Use Site where the grid is dirtiest; peak-load hours. Cold wash; filters; fibre coatings; durability. Smart charging into clean grid windows.
06 · End of Use Recycling capacity bottleneck; producer take-back. Separate collection + fibre-to-fibre infrastructure. Second-life before recycle; design packs for reuse.
07 · Circular Economy Silver loop; co-locate recycling with gigafactories. rPET at scale; fibre-to-fibre next; EPR-financed hubs. Brunp hydromet playbook; hub-and-spoke regional model.

Workshop prompt

1
Choose the sector nearest your home discipline.
2
Pick one cell — preferably where you currently teach least.
3
Rewrite the dominant lever in your field’s vocabulary (engineering, agri, education, business…).
4
Pair with a colleague from a different discipline: which of your two cells has higher leverage, and why?