Are cadmium telluride solar cells a viable photovoltaic technology?

See all authors Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells represent a commercially successful photovoltaic technology, with an annual production capacity approaching 20 GW. However, improving the open-circuit voltage (VOC) remains challenging.

What is cadmium telluride (CdTe)?

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film PV modules are the primary thin film product on the global market, with more than 30 GW peak (GW p) generating capacity representing many millions of modules installed worldwide, primarily in utility-scale power plants in the US.

Are CdTe solar modules the highest-production thin film photovoltaic technology?

14. Conclusions and outlook Herein we have reviewed the developments in the cell technology that has enabled CdTe solar modules to emerge as the highest-production thin film photovoltaic technology.

What are the benchmarks for CdTe thin film solar cells?

Today's benchmarks for CdTe thin film solar cell and module performance are defined by First Solar, with certified record cell PCE = 22.1 ± 0.5% and module aperture area PCE = 19.5% [1, 58]. The 22.1% record cell device parameters are V OC = 0.887 V, J SC = 31.69 mA/cm 2, and FF = 78.5% .

Can charge carrier recombination improve open-circuit voltage in CdTe solar cells?

However, improving the open-circuit voltage (VOC) remains challenging. This study aims to deepen the understanding of charge carrier recombination in CdTe solar cells and to explore alternative dynamical characterization methods that address the limitations found in conventionally used time-resolved photoluminescence for CdTe solar cells.

How good are CdTe solar cells?

But the overall performance of CdTe solar cells, measured in terms of their power conversion efficiency (PCE), has remained stagnant for about a decade; it was enhanced only recently to 21.5% (refs 1 – 4), which is only 65% of the theoretical limit. Thus, there is still room for improvement.