These two intervals are times when the toxic chemicals can enter into the environment. The toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride.
Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), known under the brand name Tedlar®, is typically used as a backsheet material to protect the panel from damage. Silver is crucial for its conductivity and is used to make the conductive paste that forms the grid-like pattern on the solar cells. Aluminum frames the solar panel, providing structure and support.
Solar panels are made with PV (photovoltaic) cells of silicon semiconductors that absorb sunlight and create an electric current. 95% of all photovoltaic cells are made entirely of Silicon, an element so common that it makes up 27.7% of the entire Earth’s crust and is the second-most abundant element we have (second only to Oxygen).
As the solar industry continues to innovate, the aluminum used in panel frames remains a focal point of the design for efficiency and sustainability. The manufacturing of solar panels involves various chemicals such as silicon, cadmium telluride, and lead, which must be handled with care to avoid environmental contamination.
Additionally, silicon tetrachloride, a byproduct of producing crystalline silicon, is highly toxic. During manufacture and after the disposal of solar panels, they release hazardous chemicals including cadmium compounds, silicon tetrachloride, hexafluoroethane and lead. Cadmium telluride (CT) is a highly toxic chemical that is part of solar panels.
The materials used in making thin film solar panels can be toxic. These toxic chemicals are introduced into the environment in two stages of a solar panel’s lifespan – production and disposal. During production, these chemicals are gathered, manipulated, heated, cooled, and a plethora of other processes which involve human beings in every step.
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PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 17-18 June 2025, will be our fourth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector.
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