Economic recycling of CdTe photovoltaic modules

Abstract

While CdTe photovoltaics offer the promise of renewable, nonpolluting, and low cost electricity generation, cadmium and cadmium compounds have well known toxicological properties that demand consideration of nondispersive end-of-life module and manufacturing scrap disposal. With the support of a United States Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research grant, Solar Cells Inc. has designed and installed a CdTe PV recycling pilot plant capable of processing 2 MW per shift per year of 60/spl times/120 cm modules, rated nominally at 50 W/sub p/. The primary process outputs are clean, salable glass cullet, cadmium carbonate, electrolytically refined tellurium and clean ethylene-vinyl acetate. Cost modeling shows these recovered materials are achieved at a processing cost of US $0.04 per watt or less.