Chinese scientist Pan Jingong developed solar energy 'power generation glass', also called cadmium telluride thin film solar cell.
This solar cell is based on insulating ordinary glass and evenly smears a cadmium telluride photovoltaic film that is only 4 microns thick. This produces a semiconductor material that can conduct electricity and generate electricity!
A 2 square meter 'Generating Glass' can generate 260-270 kWh of electricity each year. Five to six such glasses can meet the average household's electricity consumption for a year, and 'Generating Glass' has a useful life of 30 years.
What is even more powerful is that this kind of 'power generation glass' can already be mass-produced. It takes only 55 seconds to produce a 1.92 square meter power generation glass.
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a crystalline material synthesized from cadmium and tellurium, and cadmium telluride can also form an HgCdTe alloy with mercury. It can be used as a sensitive material for infrared detectors. Helium is a rare element on Earth. The primary issue faced by cadmium telluride thin film solar cells is whether the earth's thorium reserves can meet the industrial scale production and application of cadmium telluride solar cell modules. In the past, germanium was used as a subsidiary mineral by-product of copper, lead, zinc and other mines. In industry, niobium is mainly recovered from the waste of electrolytic copper or smelted zinc, that is, in the form of slag, and anode slime of the smelter.
According to relevant reports, there are currently 149,000 tons of earthworms known on earth, of which China has 22,000 tons and the United States has 25,000 tons. Although 130 to 140 kilograms can meet the production needs of 1MW cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells, But with the reserves of silicon can not be compared.
It is reported that cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells contain cadmium, a heavy metal element, which is a toxic substance. Some users have also been concerned that cadmium telluride used in power generation glass will cause harm to the human body.
Relevant sources said that cadmium telluride is a very stable compound, and it is sealed between two pieces of glass to enhance the safety of use.
