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Cadmium telluride photovoltaics
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<p>Cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics is a <a href="/facts/Photovoltaic/5Xefaayl">photovoltaic</a> (PV) technology based on the use of <a href="/facts/Cadmium_telluride/eyfWTv6Q">cadmium telluride</a> in a thin <a href="/facts/Semiconductor_material/zFf3mGTE">semiconductor</a> layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Cadmium telluride PV is the only <a href="/facts/Thin_film_solar_cell/54UK9nKn">thin film technology</a> with lower costs than conventional <a href="/facts/Solar_cell/3L814UCC">solar cells</a> made of <a href="/facts/Crystalline_silicon/nvx05hmr">crystalline silicon</a> in multi-kilowatt systems. </p><p>On a lifecycle basis, CdTe PV has the smallest <a href="/facts/Carbon_footprint/gRb1RaQl">carbon footprint</a>, lowest water use and shortest <a href="/facts/Crystalline_silicon/nvx05hmr">energy payback time</a> of any current photovoltaic technology. CdTe's energy payback time of less than a year allows for faster carbon reductions without short-term energy deficits. </p><p>The toxicity of <a href="/facts/Cadmium/wXkV2eIX">cadmium</a> is an environmental concern during production and when the panels are disposed of. Some of this might be mitigated by recycling of CdTe modules at the end of their life time, as there are uncertainties regarding the recycling of CdTe modules and the public opinion is skeptical towards this technology. The usage of rare materials may also become a limiting factor to the industrial scalability of CdTe technology in the mid-term future. The abundance of <a href="/facts/Tellurium/v7QvfIvS">tellurium</a>—of which telluride is the <a href="/facts/Anion/wrbwhF3z">anionic</a> form—is comparable to that of <a href="/facts/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth%27s_crust/UDSVHH56">platinum in the Earth's crust</a> and contributes significantly to the module's cost. </p><p>CdTe photovoltaics are used in some of the <a href="/facts/List_of_photovoltaic_power_stations/Uzfs2tPp">world's largest</a> <a href="/facts/Photovoltaic_power_station/gPf4oQNW">photovoltaic power stations</a>, such as the <a href="/facts/Topaz_Solar_Farm/82h4d4BK">Topaz Solar Farm</a>. With a share of 5.1% of worldwide PV production, CdTe technology accounted for more than half of the thin film market in 2013. </p>