Cadmium flows and emissions from CdTe PV: future expectations

Cadmium telluride photovoltaic (CdTe PV) technology is growing rapidly, and already represents the largest contributor to non-silicon based photovoltaics worldwide. We assessed the extent to which CdTe PV will play a notable role in the Cd use and emission flows in the future, and whether it will be environmentally beneficial or detrimental. Our results show that while CdTe PV may account for a large percentage of future global Cd demand, its role in terms of Cd sequestration may be beneficial. We calculated that its potential contribution to yearly global Cd emissions to air and water may well be orders-of-magnitude lower than the respective current Cd emissions rates in Europe.