Cadmium Telluride Solar Panels

Cadmium telluride cdte photovoltaics describes a photovoltaic pv technology that is based on the use of cadmium telluride a thin semiconductor layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity.

Cadmium telluride solar panels.

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. 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. Recent improvements have matched the efficiency of multicrystalline silicon while maintaining cost leadership. One main energy producing layer made from the compound cadmium telluride and surrounding layers for electricity conduction and collection.

On a lifecycle basis cdte pv has the smallest carbon footprint lowest water use and shortest energy payback time of any current photo voltai. An issue with using thin film panels with a cdte is that they contain a large amount of cadmium which is a toxic element. Pv solar cells based on cdte represent the largest segment of commercial thin film module production worldwide. This type of substrate is the most used with manufacturing thin film solar panels and holds 50 percent of market share.

Cadmium telluride cdte is the most common type of thin film solar cell in production. Those who live near the 230 megawatt antelope valley solar ranch one want to know whether the 3 7 million cadmium telluride cdte thin film solar panels first solar will install in their desert. Cadmium telluride solar cells use low cost manufacturing technology to produce low cost cells. Normally thin film cells have quite a bit lower efficiency than c si cells but the latest products from first solar have a 14 efficiency which is pretty close to polycrystalline cells.

The united states is the leader in cadmium telluride cdte photovoltaic pv manufacturing and nrel has been at the forefront of research and development in this area. First solar a us based manufacturer makes attractive pv modules that can be used in home applications. Cadmium telluride pv is the only thin film technology with lower costs than conventional solar cells made of crystalline silicon in multi kilowatt systems.