Differences between cadmium telluride and photovoltaic glass

What are the advantages of a cadmium telluride solar panel?

The major advantage of this technology is that the panels can manufactured at lower costs than silicon based solar panels. First Solar was the first manufacturer of Cadmium telluride panels to produced solar cells for less than $1.00 per watt. Some experts believe it will be possible to get the solar cell costs down to around $0.5 per watt.

What is cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar?

The Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar technology was first introduced in 1972 when Bonnet and Rabenhorst designed the CdS/CdTe heterojunction that allowed the manufacturing of CdTe solar cells. At first, CdTe panels achieved a 6% efficiency, but the efficiency has tripled to this day.

What is the difference between cadmium and tellurium?

Tellurium supply: While Cadmium is relatively abundant, Tellurium is not. Tellurium (Te) is an extremely rare element (1-5 parts per billion in the Earth's crust. According to USGS, global tellurium production in 2007 was 135 metric tons. Most of it comes as a by-product of copper, with smaller byproduct amounts from lead and gold.

How much tellurium does a CdTe solar panel need?

One gigawatt (GW) of CdTe PV modules would require about 93 metric tons (at current efficiencies and thicknesses), so the availability of tellurium will eventually limited how many panels can be produced with this material.

Is cadmium telluride toxic?

However, CdTe appears to be less toxic than elemental cadmium, at least in terms of acute exposure. This is not to say it is harmless. Cadmium telluride is toxic if ingested, if its dust is inhaled, or if it is handled improperly (i.e. without appropriate gloves and other safety precautions). The toxicity is not solely due to the cadmium content.

Are CdTe solar panels better than crystalline solar panels?

CdTe solar panels are 1-6% less efficient than crystalline modules, but they have prices 70% lower. These low prices make CdTe an excellent technology for solar farm installations where space is not a problem. These solar farms could deliver cheaper electricity than fossil fuel power and even crystalline silicon solar farms.