PSST – GOT ANY TELLURIUM?

Will materials shortages hinder thin-film PV development? Markets for thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices are growing rapidly, with a range of devices under development using different materials.
18 July 2011 (World of Photovoltaics)

Analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has found that the availability of materials needed for [thin film solar photovoltaic (PV)] devices is sufficient for short-term requirements. However, if markets for thin film grow in line with some energy scenarios in the next 20 years demand for materials used in some devices could greatly exceed current global production. Information on the future supply of indium and tellurium, key to some thin film designs, is currently inadequate and it is not possible to determine whether supply can expand to meet demand."

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"…Materials Availability: Potential constraints to the future low-carbon economy…assesses the demand and supply of indium and tellurium – secondary metals typically extracted with zinc and copper and used in some types of thin film PV modules. It is part of a wider UKERC research project into the scarcity of materials for advanced low-carbon technologies."

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"The global market for solar PV is growing very rapidly, and some energy scenarios suggest that it could contribute as much as 10-15% of global electricity by 2050. Thin film PV devices are expected to occupy a significant share (35-40%) of this market…a market for thin films of perhaps 20 GW per year. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper, indium, di-selenide (CIGS) devices are both contenders for a large share of the thin film market…"