[en] We have used the MR-CAT beamline of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to study the fine structure in the Cu K-edge X-ray absorption in 2 (micro)m thick polycrystalline films of CdTe on fused silica. 4 nm of evaporated Cu is diffused either with or without prior vapor CdCl₂ treatments in dry air. The phase-uncorrected radial distribution function inferred from the absorption fine structure indicates predominantly Cu₂Te when Cu is diffused into the as-deposited CdTe film but indicates a Cu₂O environment when Cu is diffused after the vapor CdCl₂ treatment. We believe most of the diffused Cu decorates grain boundaries as oxides, consistent with the low doping densities typically observed in CdTe solar cells. This Cu₂O likely plays a role in grain-boundary passivation. We also found that the chemical environment around Cu atoms in both CdTe and real cells can change with light soaking. This instability of Cu₂O in sputtered CdTe could contribute to cell degradation.

[en] As the markets for photovoltaics grow and become more main stream, customers and financing institutions will increasingly require assurances of design, installation, and maintenance competency and professionalism. This can either evolve as a large number of uncoordinated and dissimilar local and regional regulations, or may be developed within a common framework that ensures quality, continuity, and transportability, reducing the ultimate burden of compliance on designers and installers. This paper is a summary of the issues confronting efforts to develop industry standards, current efforts to develop global standards for systems hardware and training, and projections for the phased development of these quality programs for the photovoltaics industry. The paper also discusses the impact of such a standardization program on access to financing and the impact on the creation of local, sustainable jobs

[en] The abundance of natural fossil fuel resources in Australia adds a new dimension to the obstacles to be overcome when introducing photovoltaics (PV) into the electric utility market. Regulations are being considered to enforce a form of penalty unto non-environmentally friendly energy producers. Electric utilities are required to offer a purchase tariff and structure to private producers of electricity. Under the current conditions, it is technically feasible to introduce small-scale roof-top PV generation systems with or without battery storage. Economic analysis have shown that the electricity tariff structure for PV and other renewables needed a major change to allow a reasonable and acceptable pay-back period if PV is to become an attractive economic investment to private owners

[en] More than two dozen electric utilities in the US have initiated renewable energy programs funded in total or in part by customers willing to pay a premium to either have their utility develop and use renewable technologies or have part of their own electric service needs supplied by renewable energy sources. These programs are beginning to answer key questions regarding the numbers and characteristics of customers that are willing to pay these premiums for clean, nonpolluting energy. Also, economic viability, level of revenue support, and other questions are critical to successful programs. This paper provides information on a number of utility efforts now underway which use photovoltaic (PV) systems and are part of the government-utility industry TEAM-UP program; it will also provide some early findings and perspectives that are coming from these utility efforts around the US

[en] Recycling can be a cost-effective way to dispose of end-of-life PV modules. Recycling is likely economic if key components (e.g., Si wafers and/or glass sheets) can be salvaged intact, or the modules are classified as hazardous under existing environmental regulations. End-of-life PV modules based on thin-film CuInSe₂, thin-film CdTe, amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon will likely not be classified as hazardous under existing US national regulations; but further testing is required. End-of-life CuInSe₂, CdTe and crystalline Si PV modules may all be classified as hazardous under more-restrictive state regulations, e.g., in California., In every case, recycling can simplify handling and disposal of end-of-life modules

[en] The wide scale interest in the commercial potential of cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium diselenide (CIS) photovoltaic modules is tempered by the use of toxic metals such as cadmium and selenium in their manufacture. Drinkard Metalox has adapted hydrometallurgical technology to recycle CdTe cells. The process will remove all the Cd and Te while, enabling reuse of substrates. Downstream processing recovers Te as metal from the lixivant, and removal of the lixivant leaves behind a pure Cd product. This process can also be utilized to process CIS cells. The lixivant will remove all the photoactive metals from the substrate of scrap CIS cells. A metallic stream of mixed Cu and Se metal is removed from the leachate by electrochemical methods. Subsequent processing will win purified Se

[en] A method of economically recovering silicon wafers from x-Si PV modules is presented. Since the wafer cost is estimated at about half the total material cost of a silicon PV module, there may be economic benefits from recycling. In addition, recycling silicon PV modules allows reclamation of the glass substrate and prevents disposal of potentially hazardous materials such as silver and lead from the wafer contact and interconnect systems. The major problem for recycling silicon Wafers from end-of-life devices has been cleanly separating the wafers from the EVA polymer encapsulating material. This paper describes the cost effective recycling of functioning x-Si PV cells after thermal decomposition of EVA in an inert gas atmosphere. Process costs are estimated at US $0.20 /per 10 cm x 10 cm recovered cell

[en] This study is part of the ExternE program of the European Commission on the external costs of the photovoltaic (PV) fuel cycle. The objective of this paper is the quantitative evaluation of the main environmental impacts of two selected PV systems--the ground-based 1MWp system in Toledo, Spain and the 40 kWp building integrated facade in Newcastle upon Tyne, NE England, using the methodology of life cycle analysis (LCA). Both systems use silicon wafer technology at present, but the Newcastle facade was also studied with the incorporation CdTe modules. The results of the LCA show that atmospheric emissions are the priority impacts with respect to the assessed PV systems. Comparing Si wafer systems, the CO₂ emissions were 88 t/GWh for the Toledo PV plant and 143t/GWh for the BIPV facade. If the facade had used electrodeposited CdTe, the CO₂ emissions would fall to about 50t/GWh