Why Is Tellurium Used In Solar Panels

Tellurium alloyed with cadmium forms the compound cadmium telluride cdte a highly conductive compound when exposed to sunlight.

Why is tellurium used in solar panels.

Cadmium telluride solar modules now account for around 5 of global installations and depending on how you do the sums can produce lower cost power than silicon solar. Cadmium telluride solar cells. 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. When alloyed with other elements.

Tellurium or its toxic effect on humans and ecosystems. While cadmium is relatively abundant tellurium is not. Of all the solar technologies cdte solar panels are the most. How do we use tellurium.

Pv solar cells based on cdte represent the largest segment of commercial thin film module production worldwide. Cadmium telluride solar panels currently achieve an efficiency of 10 6 which is significantly lower than the typical efficiencies of silicon solar cells. But cadmium telluride s achilles heel is the tellurium itself one of the rarest metals in the earth s crust. Human exposure to tellurium can lead to a garlic odor on the breath nausea and eventual respiratory problems.