Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaic Solar Panels

Pv solar cells based on cdte represent the largest segment of commercial thin film module production worldwide.

Cadmium telluride photovoltaic solar panels.

New cadmium telluride solar panels are now available for applications on tall buildings in urban environments. Cadmium telluride cdte photovoltaics describes a photovoltaic pv technology that is based on the use of cadmium telluride in a thin semiconductor layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Cadmium telluride is a direct bandgap material with bandgap energy of about 1 45 defined ev which is well matched to the solar spectrum and nearly optimal for converting sunlight into electricity using a single junction. 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.

One main energy producing layer made from the compound cadmium telluride and surrounding layers. It is usually sandwiched with cadmium sulfide to form a p n junction solar pv cell. Cadmium telluride cdte is a stable crystalline compound formed from cadmium and tellurium. First solar a us based manufacturer makes attractive pv modules that can be used in home applications.

Cadmium telluride cdte and copper indium gallium diselenide cigs. 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. Typically cdte pv cells use a n i p structure.

It is mainly used as the semiconducting material in cadmium telluride photovoltaics and an infrared optical window. Their efficiency ranges from 15 3 to 18 2 with 110 w to 450 w of power output. 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. Cdte thin film panels are made from several thin layers.

A thin film solar cell is made by depositing one or more thin layers of pv material on a supporting material such as glass plastic or metal. Cadmium telluride solar cells. The question of what happens when indictments of current energy sources are also levied towards alternative sources is an important one. Advancements in solar technology and the rapidly expanding landscape of photovoltaic arrays are raising concerns about environmental toxicity namely the use of cadmium telluride cdte in most photovoltaic pv solar cells.

The benefits of cdte thin film solar cells include. Development of cdte as a solar cell material dates back to the early 1980s when 10 efficient devices were demonstrated. Normally thin film cells have quite a bit lower efficiency than c si cells but the latest products from first solar have a 14.