Cadmium Solar Panels

Worse rainwater can wash many of these toxics out of the fragments of solar modules over time.

Cadmium solar panels.

Cadmium telluride photovoltaics describes a photovoltaic technology that is based on the use of cadmium telluride in a thin semiconductor layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Approximately 90 of most pv modules are made up of glass. As the second most common photovoltaic technology on the market behind traditional crystalline silicon cadmium telluride cdte panels are already a viable thin film solar panel solution. An issue with using thin film panels with a cdte is that they contain a large amount of cadmium which is a toxic element.

Workers may be exposed during smelting and refining of metals and manufacturing batteries plastics coatings and solar panels. One main energy producing layer made from the compound cadmium telluride and surrounding layers for electricity conduction and collection. Solar panels often contain lead cadmium and other toxic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel. This type of substrate is the most used with manufacturing thin film solar panels and holds 50 percent of market share.

You might think of solar panels as a top sustainability solution. Cadmium is a heavy metal and extremely dangerous. First solar a us based manufacturer makes attractive pv modules that can be used in home applications. Cdte thin film panels are made from several thin layers.

The expanding ni cd battery recycling industry is a concern for cadmium exposure. While it s true that they re terrific for harnessing renewable energy from the sun photovoltaic panels have an oft ignored. Solar panels generate 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than nuclear power plants. Cadmium telluride cdte is the most common type of thin film solar cell in production.

Cadmium telluride pv is the only thin film technology with lower costs than conventional solar cells made of crystalline silicon in multi kilowatt systems. Cadmium fumes may cause flu like symptoms and more severe respiratory problems. On a lifecycle basis cdte pv has the smallest carbon footprint lowest water use and shortest energy payback time of any current photo voltai. Worker exposure to cadmium can occur in all industry sectors but mostly in manufacturing and construction.

The debate over the toxic potential of thin film solar panels based on cadmium compounds has been reignited. They also contain lead cadmium and other toxic even carcinogenic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel.