US Funds Consortium to Explore Cheaper, More Efficienct CdTe Solar Cells
The largest funder of clean energy in America is its federal Department of Energy. And the second-most common photovoltaic technology in the world (after silicon) is cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells. So this week the U.S. Department of Energy announced an initiative to improve them, aspiring to make CdTe cells "less expensive, more efficient and develop new markets for solar cell products." Without strengthened domestic manufacturing capacity, the U.S. will continue to rely on clean energy imports, exposing the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities while simultaneously losing out on the enormous job opportunities associated with the energy transition. The Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium's efforts to spur technological advancements will increase America's competitiveness, bolster domestic innovation, and support clean electricity deployment supporting President Biden's goal of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.... To achieve these goals, the team has a broad research plan that includes CdTe doping strategies, characterizing and exploring new CdTe contacting materials, and work to enable a bifacial CdTe module that absorbs light from the front and back of the module. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will administer the consortium, whose leaders were chosen through a competitive solicitation NREL released last year. The consortium will be led by the University of Toledo, First Solar, Colorado State University, Toledo Solar Inc., and Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc. NREL will serve as a resource, support, and technical analysis center as the consortium develops a technology roadmap, conducts research to meet targets set within the roadmap, and regularly assesses the domestic CdTe supply chain for challenges and opportunities. Specific goals on the consoritum's web site include: Enable cell efficiencies above 24% and module costs below $0.20/W by 2025 Enable cell efficiencies above 26% and module costs below $0.15/W by 2030 Maintain or increase domestic CdTe PV material and module production through 2030.
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