CdTe in thin film photovoltaic cells: Interventions to protect drinking water in production and end-of-life

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorCurtin, A. M.
dc.contributor.authorVail, C. A.
dc.contributor.authorBuckley, H. L.
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-21T19:54:30Z
dc.date.available2020-05-21T19:54:30Z
dc.date.copyright2020en_US
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractSolar energy harvesting is a crucial technology in the transition away from fossil fuels. However, in order to make a renewable energy source truly sustainable, it is necessary to understand and mitigate broader impacts. At the Water-Energy Nexus lies the question of trade-offs between energy sources in terms of their water footprint, through water use or water contamination. The purpose of this work is to analyze CdTe thin film photovoltaic cells to evaluate interventions that can prevent contamination of drinking water. We focus on drinking water because of its relevance to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation. Thin-film PV cells use CdTe as a semiconductor material because of its advantageous band gap and high solar absorption efficiency. However, CdTe as well as cadmium and tellurium species can be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and pose serious health hazards to humans when present in drinking water. We propose a multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) that can be used by business leaders and politicians to aid in decision-making in regards to new interventions to protect drinking water. In this article we use a case study to demonstrate the use of the MCDA framework. The interventions analyzed in this review are regulation of recycling and disposal, bioreactors, and dye-sensitized solar cells. Protecting water supplies while increasing access to reliable electricity through low-cost solar is a critical path to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals as this renewable energy technology evolves.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipFinally, we acknowledge financial support from NSERC, IRAP-CESAP, and CFI-JELF.en_US
dc.identifier.citationCurtin, A. M., Vail, C. A., & Buckley, H. L. (2020). CdTe in thin film photovoltaic cells: Interventions to protect drinking water in production and end-of-life. Water-Energy Nexus, Vol. 3, 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2020.03.007.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2020.03.007
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/11758
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherWater-Energy Nexusen_US
dc.subjectCdTe
dc.subjectThin-film photovoltaic cells
dc.subjectDrinking water contamination
dc.subjectHazard assessment
dc.subjectMulti-criteria decision analysis
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Civil Engineering
dc.titleCdTe in thin film photovoltaic cells: Interventions to protect drinking water in production and end-of-lifeen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Curtin_AM_WaterEnergyNexus_2020.pdf
Size:
1.81 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Faculty and Staff Publications
 
University of Victoria Libraries

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.