Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a compound used in photovoltaic cells that consists of cadmium and telluride. It has the potential to be environmentally benign despite the hazardous nature of cadmium. Its limited supply and potential environmental hazards are the main challenges associated with this technology.
This chapter has shown the potential of some materials and chemicals used in the manufacture of thin film PV solar cells and modules to be hazardous. These hazardous chemicals can pose serious health and environment concerns, if proper cautions are not taken.
The amounts of chemicals and materials used in the manufacturing of TFPV devices vary depending on the type of cell being produced. For example, the quantity of cadmium in a CIS PV module is evaluated at 0.04 g/m 2 and in a CdTe PV module at 5 g/m 2 [ 30 ].
Nevertheless, the high band gap energy (2.41 eV) of the CdS window layer results in the fact that lights at wavelength below 514 nm will be absorbed in the CdS layer. On this basis, Cadmium-based solar cells appear to be the most promising candidate for the implementation of a luminescent down-shifter.
Thin film PV (TFPV) technology contains a higher number of toxic materials than those used in traditional silicon PV technology, including indium, gallium, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, telluride [ 2 ]. These materials must be handled and disposed of properly, to avoid with time serious environmental and human health problems.
Once took out from the manufactory, photovoltaic (PV) systems do not produce any toxic gas emissions, any noise or greenhouse gases. However, as with any industrial product, there are health and environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of solar cells and solar panels.
A review of primary technologies of thin-film solar cells
This paper presents a holistic review regarding 3 major types of thin-film solar cells including cadmium telluride (CdTe), ... The central danger during the active lifetime of this solar cell is dissolving out of broken modules and creating fire hazards, which need to be avoided. 2. As a by-product of Zn refining, abundant-element Cd is obtained; however, as a by-product …
Assessment of the Risks Associated with Thin Film Solar ...
This report reviews available risk assessments for cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor materials used in the construction of thin lm photovoltaic solar technology under consider-ation …
(PDF) Toxic Materials Used in Thin Film Photovoltaics
A summary of Environmental, Health and Safety issues associated with some thin film technologies like copper indium gallium diselenide (CIS/CIGS), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and amorphous...
Assessment of the Risks Associated with Thin Film Solar Panel …
This report reviews the environmental risk profile of utility-scale cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic installations with relevant information from the scientific literature and an audit of …
Design and numerical investigation of cadmium telluride (CdTe) …
In recent years, thin film solar cell (TFSC) technology including dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has gotten a lot of attention in the research community. 19–22 However, due to the low efficiency and poor stability of DSSCs, the copper -indium -gallium sulfide (CIGS) and CdTe solar cells are attracted much which shows an efficiency of higher than 20%. 23 For …
Leaching of cadmium and tellurium from cadmium telluride …
A crushed non-encapsulated CdTe thin-film solar cell was subjected to two standardized batch leaching tests (i.e., Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and California Waste Extraction Test (WET)) and to a continuous-flow column test to assess cadmium (Cd) and tellurium (Te) dissolution …
Cadmium Telluride/Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films Solar Cells: A …
CdTe is one of the potential absorber materials in thin film solar cells. 1.1 Cadmium telluride (CdTe) CdTe is well studied materials. It is II-VI semiconducting material having direct bandgap of 1.42 eV for polycrystalline and 1.5 eV for single crystal form.[3] It shows excellent electrical and optical properties (Table. 1). Since it is used in various optoelectronics devices. Solar cells are ...
Cadmium Telluride/Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films …
The efficiency and steadiness of solar cells are dependent on the experimental conditions during the fabrication of the device. In the present review, development in the last few decades in CdTe/CdS solar cells on …
Leaching of cadmium and tellurium from cadmium telluride …
A crushed non-encapsulated CdTe thin-film solar cell was subjected to two standardized batch leaching tests (i.e., Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and California Waste Extraction Test (WET)) and to a continuous-flow column test to assess cadmium (Cd) and tellurium (Te) dissolution under conditions simulating the acidic- and ...
Brief review of cadmium telluride
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is the most commercially successful thin-film photovoltaic technology. Development of CdTe as a solar cell material dates back to the early 1980s when ~10% efficient ...
The Pivotal Role of Thermal Annealing of Cadmium Telluride Thin Film …
The main focus of this framework is the preparation of CdTe nanocrystalline thin films (~120 nm) on single crystal p-Si wafers (270 μm) with Miller index (100) using thermal evaporation. Then, the In/n-CdTe/p-Si/Al solar cell was successfully fabricated. The dark I–V characteristics for the fabricated solar cell have been determined in range of 300–375 K and …
Health, Safety and Environmental Issues Relating to Cadmium …
This paper discusses the current technology base and hazards associated with two promising thin-film photovoltaic cells that contain cadmium compounds - cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium deselenide (CuInSe2). More specifically, this paper summarized the toxicological information on cadmium(Cd) compounds; evaluates potential health ...
Thin-Film Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics: ES&H Issues, …
This is a summary of the issues, solutions, and perspectives associated with the use of cadmium in one of the new and important PV technologies: thin-film, cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV, …
Cadmium Telluride
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a compound used in photovoltaic cells that consists of cadmium and telluride. It has the potential to be environmentally benign despite the hazardous nature of cadmium. Its limited supply and potential environmental hazards are the main challenges associated with this technology.
Leaching of cadmium and tellurium from cadmium telluride (CdTe) …
A crushed non-encapsulated CdTe thin-film solar cell was subjected to two standardized batch leaching tests (i.e., Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and …
Leaching of cadmium and tellurium from cadmium telluride (CdTe) …
A crushed non-encapsulated CdTe thin-film solar cell was subjected to two standardized batch leaching tests (i.e., Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and California Waste Extraction Test (WET)) and to a continuous-flow column test to assess cadmium (Cd) and …
Assessment of the Risks Associated with Thin Film Solar Panel …
This report reviews the environmental risk profile of utility-scale cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic installations with relevant information from the scientific literature and an audit of the manufacturing and recycling facilities of a domestic manufacturer. Current photovoltaic technologies are described, and the environmental and health ...
Cadmium Telluride
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a compound used in photovoltaic cells that consists of cadmium and telluride. It has the potential to be environmentally benign despite the hazardous nature of …
Toxic Materials Used in Thin Film Photovoltaics and Their Impacts …
Thin film PV (TFPV) technology contains a higher number of toxic materials than those used in traditional silicon PV technology, including indium, gallium, arsenic, selenium, …
Thin-Film Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics: ES&H Issues, …
This is a summary of the issues, solutions, and perspectives associated with the use of cadmium in one of the new and important PV technologies: thin-film, cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV, which is being developed and commercialized by several companies including Solar Cells Inc. (Toledo, Ohio), BP Solar (Fairfield, California), and Matsushita (Japan).
Health, Safety and Environmental Issues Relating to Cadmium …
This paper discusses the current technology base and hazards associated with two promising thin-film photovoltaic cells that contain cadmium compounds - cadmium telluride (CdTe) and …
Cadmium Telluride
Increasing use of Cadmium Telluride in solar cells can result in a dearth of Tellurium which is one of the rarest elements found on earth. Infrared Detector: It is alloyed with mercury for making infrared detector materials.
CdTe-based thin film photovoltaics: Recent advances, current …
Cadmium telluride (CdTe)-based cells have emerged as the leading commercialized thin film photovoltaic technology and has intrinsically better temperature coefficients, energy yield, and degradation rates than Si technologies. More than 30 GW peak (GW p) of CdTe-based modules are installed worldwide, multiple companies are in production, …
Assessment of the Risks Associated with Thin Film Solar ...
This report reviews available risk assessments for cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor materials used in the construction of thin lm photovoltaic solar technology under consider-ation for Virginia solar facilities. The review is based upon a survey of technical literature