Safety of Cadmium Based Solar Panels Questioned Again

The debate over the toxic potential of thin film solar panels based on cadmium compounds has been reignited in Australia (and continues in Europe).
 
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a commonly used material in thin film solar modules. Cadmium is a heavy metal and extremely dangerous. Cadmium fumes may cause flu like symptoms and more severe respiratory problems. Cadmium dust is even more toxic, leading to respiratory, liver and kidney problems that can be fatal. Some compounds containing cadmium are thought to be carcinogenic.
 
Cadmium telluride, while considered less dangerous in relation to acute exposure,  is toxic if ingested, improperly handled or the dust inhaled.
 
In relation to solar panels, the CdTe is safe while encapsulated in the module, but if the panel is damaged and exposed to water, the cadmium telluride could leach into the water. Aside from this contaminated water entering the wider environment through stormwater runoff, this issue raises concerns particularly where rainwater is harvested from a rooftop for use within the building.
 
In an interview on CleanEnergyAuthority, Vice President of Technology for solar panel manufacturer REC, Trond Westgaard, said since cadmium telluride based panels are not officially considered a dangerous product, there is also a risk of them being mixed with other waste after being damaged or at the end of their serviceable life.

While even silicon based solar panels have their own problematic element - lead - Mr. Westgaard says tests have shown lead leaching potential of approximately 4 grams of lead per kilowatt installed compared to approximately 23 grams of cadmium per kilowatt installed for CdTe panels. Additionally, he said cadmium is considered 10 times more hazardous than lead.

Mr. Westgaard acknowledges the handling of CdTe panels in large solar farms may be closely monitored and recycling programs in place, but states REC is concerned with home solar power and medium scale solar installations that may not be subject to such controls. REC does not use cadmium telluride in any of its solar panels.

Earlier this year, Australian solar power solutions provider Energy Matters expressed similar concerns about cadmium panels, stating that while the company is open to the idea of offering CdTe based thin film solar panels at some point and have discussed their concerns with manufacturers, the issues of safety have not yet been addressed to their satisfaction.

Source:  Energy Matters

Trina Solar Invests in Lower Cost Silicon

Around 80% of existing solar energy cells on the market rely on high grade silicon components.  The scarcity of high grade silicon is one of the things which pushes up the price of roof top solar panels.
Researchers from The Australian National University in Canberra have found a way to use more abundant lower grade silicon components to generate electricity from sunlight.

Lead researcher Dr Daniel Macdonald says the breakthrough will increase efficiency and reduce consumer energy costs.

"Most solar cells made from silicon today use P-type silicon, which is more resistant to radiation in space," Dr Macdonald said.

"That's totally irrelevant for terrestrial applications."

The research highlights the benefits of N-type silicon, which is less affected by the impurities that reduce efficiency.

The ANU and one of China's largest solar energy manufacturing companies, Trina Solar have formed a partnership to commercialise the technology within 3 years.

"We believe that this project will allow us to take some of our best innovations from our laboratory and actually implement them in industry, so that people can put them on their rooftops."

Dr Macdonald says the new silicon cells will be cheaper to manufacture and he's confident the technology will drive down the cost of solar electricity by up to 10 per cent.

"In collaboration with Trina Solar .. we are aiming to develop 20 per cent solar cells. That compares with today's industry standard of typical P-type counterparts of around 18 per cent. Now that may not sound like a big increase, but effectively it means that for a solar module of the same surface area, you get 10 per cent more electricity out. That is a significant increment."

Dr Macdonald says the strategic partnership with Trina follows more than 12 months of talks, and he hopes it will endure.

"China will be the dominant manufacturing centre for photovoltaic modules in the foreseeable future, so that's a very valuable relationship for us."

The Federal Government is contributing $3 million towards the total $11 million project.

The Federal Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson says he is not worried about exporting the manufacturing of Australian breakthroughs overseas.

"As the pace of solar energy deployment actually accelerates globally it is imperative that Australia remains a leader in the field."

"We are not going to get thousands of jobs in manufacturing. We are going to actually concentrate on high tech innovation and in doing so create the capacity, create additional jobs in the installation of these opportunities throughout the length and breadth of Australia."

Dr Huang Qiang of the Chinese firm Trina Solar noted the auspicious date of today's announcement.

"This day is a very, very nice day!"

"(The numeral) eight in Chinese means fortune and growth. Two means two parties."

"This is the meaning of the day. We are so happy to work with ANU on this project and we have set up an Australian office."

The Federal Government agency, the Australian Solar Institute (ASI) says the collaboration is a vote of confidence for Australian research.

Jenny Goddard chairs the ASI board.

"Solar is the worlds fastest growing energy market, and global PV (photovoltaic) capacity has been increasing at an annual growth rate of 40% since 2000," Ms Goddard said.

"Trina provides the platform for the world market to witness Australian innovation, and opens the pathway we hope, for future opportunities."

She described ANU's solar energy research team as world leading.

The university has secured close to $18million in ASI grant funding to date.

Source:  ABC News / by Adrienne Francis

Dye-Sensitized Cell Panel & Materials Revenues Projected to Reach $1.9 B by 2016

Revenues generated by solar panels using dye-sensitized cell (DSC) technology will reach $1.9 billion by 2016, according to a new report from NanoMarkets. The report identifies the new business opportunities that are emerging from the DSC sector and covers both on-grid and off-grid uses.

The report, "Dye Sensitized Cells: Materials, Applications and Opportunities," finds that projects with DSC-based building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) involving Pilkington and Tata Steel appear to have progressed well in the past year, suggesting a healthy market in the future. NanoMarkets projects that revenues from DSC-based BIPV will account for over 80% of the DSC market by 2016.

In addition, new and more cost-effective DSC materials are being developed. For example, costly ruthenium dye may eventually be replaced by chlorophyll derivatives, copper-based dyes and mixed "cocktails" of various dyes. Solid-state, printable and transparent electrolytes are also on their way to the marketplace. By 2016, the DSC panel industry is expected to consume more than $780 million in materials.

DSC represents a substantial opportunity for the building-materials industry to add PV capabilities to their premium tiles, siding and architectural glass, the report states. By 2016, building substrates of this kind are likely to represent a market worth around $500 million.

SOURCE: NanoMarkets

New Study Proves that PV Installations Contribute "Sizable" Value When Reselling Your Home

Homes with solar PV systems sell for a premium over homes without solar installations, according to new research by the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Although the premise that installing PV will add value to a home has long been promoted by installers and others in the industry, the new study - titled "An Analysis of the Effects of Residential Photovoltaic Energy Systems on Home Sales Prices in California" - confirms and quantifies this effect.

According to the lab, this research is the first to empirically explore the existence and magnitude of residential PV sales price impacts across a large number of homes and over a wide geographic area. Over the past few years, an increasing number of homes with PV systems have sold, particularly in California, but relatively little research has been performed to estimate the impacts of those PV systems on home sales prices.

Overall, the researchers found that homes with PV in California have sold for a premium, expressed in dollars per watt of installed PV, of approximately $3.9/W to $6.4/W.

"These average sales price premiums appear to be comparable with the average investment that homeowners have made to install PV systems in California, and of course, homeowners also benefit from energy bill savings after PV system installation and prior to home sale," says the report's lead author, Ben Hoen, a researcher at Berkeley Lab.

The $3.9/W-to-$6.4/W increase corresponds to an average home sales price premium of approximately $17,000 for a relatively new 3.1 kW PV system (the average size of PV systems in the Berkeley Lab data set), and compares to an average investment that homeowners have made to install PV systems in California of approximately $5/W over the 2001-2009 period.

"This is a sizable effect," says Ryan Wiser, a Berkeley Lab scientist and co-author. "This research might influence the decisions of homeowners considering installing a PV system and of home buyers considering buying a home with PV already installed. Even new-home builders that are contemplating PV as a component of their homes can benefit from this research."

The lab analyzed a dataset of more than 72,000 California homes that were sold between 2000 and mid-2009, approximately 2,000 of which had a PV system at the time of sale. The research controlled for a large number of factors that might influence results, such as housing market fluctuations, neighborhood effects, the age of the home, and the size of the home and the parcel on which it was located, the researchers note.

The resulting premiums associated with PV systems were consistent across a large number of model specifications and robustness tests. The research also showed that, as PV systems age, the premium enjoyed at the time of home sale decreases.

Additionally, existing homes with PV systems were found to have commanded a larger sales price premium than new homes with similarly sized PV systems.

"One reason for the disparity between existing and new homes with PV might be that new-home builders also gain value from PV as a market differentiator that speeds the home sales process, a factor not analyzed in the Berkeley Lab study," says Berkeley Lab researcher and co-author Peter Cappers. "More research is warranted to better understand these and related impacts."

The full report can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: SolarCity

BrightSource Energy Inc. Prepares for IPO

BrightSource Energy Inc., an Oakland, Calif.-headquartered solar thermal technology company, has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a proposed initial public offering of shares of its common stock.

The company says that Goldman, Sachs & Co., Citi and Deutsche Bank Securities will act as book-running managers for the offering.

The number of shares to be sold in the proposed offering and the offering price have not yet been determined. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective.


Source:   Solar Industry

Trina Solar To Supply 30 MW Webberville Solar Project in Texas

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has closed financing and begun construction on the 30 MW Webberville Solar project, which will be located just outside Austin, Texas, and is scheduled to be operational by year-end.

Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. has been selected to construct the project and provide operations and maintenance services for the power plant for five years, FRV says. Once operational, the solar energy from the plant will provide electricity under a long-term power purchase agreement with Austin Energy for 25 years.

FRV has also partnered with Bayerische Landesbank, which has fully underwritten the construction debt for the project. With this team now in place, the construction of the Webberville Solar project, sited on Austin Energy-owned land in Webberville, Texas, is fully under way.

In order to maximize the solar energy output at the site, the solar plant will be constructed by mounting modules on a flat, single-axis tracking system, FRV notes. The project will deploy 270 W crystalline photovoltaic modules that FRV procured directly from Trina Solar.


Source:  Solar Industry

Organic Photovoltaics Not Likely To Play Big Role in Solar PV Market

Commercial uses for organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules will almost certainly materialize over the next decade, driven by unique form factors and the potential for lower costs, according to a new report from Lux Research.

However, OPV's comparatively poor conversion efficiencies and short lifetimes mean that it will not compete with conventional solar technologies, limiting its market potential. Lux Research projects an OPV market that reaches $159 million in 2020.

The report estimates prospective growth for OPV modules, which use organic (carbon-containing) polymers or molecules to convert light to electricity. The report calculates adoption potential for OPV's two main technology categories - bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OPV devices and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) - in five different market segments: building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), developing world applications, defense, consumer electronics and signage.

“While part of OPV's appeal is the hope of low costs, we found it won’t beat crystalline silicon or inorganic thin film on cost per watt," says Alex Carter, a Lux Research associate and the report's lead author. "As a result, developers will focus on niche applications where OPV provides other capabilities like transparency and flexibility. There will be some success, but not the disruptive impact developers are proclaiming."

To estimate likely prospects for OPV through 2020, Lux Research calculated the total market size addressable by OPV in the five segments listed above. It then projected potential market share for both BHJ OPV and DSSCs.

OPV is expected to reach $159 million on the back of BIPV and defense. Lux Research projects an OPV market reaching 97 MW and $159 million in 2020. Here, defense signifies the largest market, with BIPV close behind. BHJ technology dominates early, but as flexible DSSC devices mature, these devices are expected to gain to capture 53% of the market in 2020.

BIPV provides niches for both BHJ and DSSC, Lux Research adds. The report examines three variations of BIPV: flexible membranes for roofing and shade structures (e.g., awnings) solar shingles for pitched roofing, and rigid windows and fade elements. BIPV overall will grow to 27 MW of demand and a $44 million market, with around two-thirds of that based on flexible membranes and most of the balance from windows and facades. BHJ takes 47% of the market here in megawatts, but only 39% in revenues.

Defense applications are driven by portable power for soldiers. The ease of integrating OPV into certain flexible structures and the ability to pattern it could help set it apart for some applications, such as integration into tents and even uniforms, and allow it to gain some market share, the report says. In defense applications, OPV will expand to 34 MW in 2020, pulling in $64 million in revenues - split 60:40 between DSSC and BHJ.

SOURCE: Lux Research

View:   There could be some surprises however - like solar glass that could boost OPV sales.