First Solar's CdTe PV technology safely creates clean, affordable electricity.  

More Information:


• French government's EHS review of First Solar's CdTe PV

• European Commission's Peer Review

• Scientific Study of CdTe PV Modules During Fires, First Solar Abstract
  CdTe's physical properties, including its extremely low vapor pressure, and its high boiling and melting points, along with its insolubility in water, limit its mobility. Furthermore, the very thin layer of CdTe in PV modules is encapsulated between two protective sheets of glass. As a result, the risk of health or environmental exposure in fires, from accidental breakage or from leaching is almost non-existent.
•   In 2009, an in-depth assessment of the environmental, health and safety aspects of First Solar's CdTe PV systems and manufacturing operations was carried out under the authority of the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea. It concluded that, "During standard operation of CdTe PV systems, there are no cadmium emissions - to air, to water, or to soil. In the exceptional case of accidental fires or broken panels, scientific studies show that cadmium emissions remain negligible. Accordingly, large-scale deployment of CdTe PV can be considered safe to human health and the environment."
•   A peer review of three major studies on the environmental profile of CdTe PV organized by the European Commission, Joint Research Center and sponsored by the German Environment Ministry concluded, "...CdTe used in PV is in an environmental stable form that does not leak into the environment during normal use or foreseeable accidents, and therefore can be considered the environmentally safest current use of cadmium."
•   Independent analysis indicates that CdTe modules do not pose a risk during fires. CdTe has an extremely low vapor pressure, high boiling and melting points and is almost completely encapsulated by molten glass when exposed to fire. Exposure of pieces of CdTe PV modules to flame temperatures from 760 to 1100°C illustrated that CdTe diffuses into glass, rather than being released into the atmosphere. Higher temperatures produce further CdTe diffusion into the glass.
•   Through outdoor leaching experiments with small fragments of CdTe modules, an independent study estimated that in a worst-case scenario materials leached from the modules into water would result in concentration levels that are no higher than the German drinking water concentration limit for cadmium.
•   First Solar modules have been tested in accordance with standard waste protocols and are non-hazardous waste at end-of-life.