What Are the Benefits of Cadmium Use in Photovoltaics?
1. Using small amounts of cadmium in CdTe thin-film modules will allow the mass production of PV for the commercial marketplace—resulting in reduced levels of atmospheric emissions such as acid rain, particulates, noxious fumes, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of heavy metals. Utility coal plants produce heavy-metal airborne pollution. When PV replaces burning coal for electricity generation, it will prevent a minimum of 2 g of cadmium in gaseous emissions and about 140 g of cadmium in ash form for each GWh of electricity produced. During its projected 30 years of clean energy production, a 2-kW rooftop photovoltaic system meeting half of a household’s electricity use would generate 100 MWhr of electricity. This allows electrical plants to avoid emissions from burning fossil fuels of more than half a ton of sulfur dioxide, one-third a ton of nitrogen oxides, and 100 tons of carbon dioxide. Now, imagine the environmental benefits resulting from many households and businesses generatin
