Environmental, health, safety, and regulatory review of selected photovoltaic options: copper sulfide/cadmium sulfide and polycrystalline silicon

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6350038· OSTI ID:6350038

Lawrence, K.; Morgan, S.; Schaller, D.; Wilczak, T.

Current laboratory processes and potential commercial-scale PV cell fabrication approaches are described. Emissions, effluents and solid wastes from the fabrication of both polycrystalline silicon and front-wall copper sulfide/cadmium sulfide photovoltaic cells are summarized. Environmental, health, and safety characteristics of cell fabrication material inputs and by-products are listed. Candidate waste stream treatment methods and resultant effluents are reviewed. Environmental, health, and safety effects of photovoltaic cell/module/array installation, operation, maintenance, and decommission are summarized. An overview is presented of federal laws, regulations, and guidelines that may apply to a commercial-scale industry for either cell process. Federal legislation addressed includes: the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Future regulatory trends under these laws are discussed as they may affect each cell process. Water quality, solid waste disposal, and occupational health and safety regulations will likely be those most applicable to commercial-scale PV production. However, currently available control technology appears sufficient to treat cell fabrication wastes. Final determinations of PV industry compliance with these regulatory programs awaits quantitative data from demonstration and commercial-scale facilities.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6350038
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-743-799; ON: DE81027294
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
LEGISLATION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLLUTION
POLYCRYSTALS
PROCESSING
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION