Toward Low Cost CdTe PV

The development of cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics has reached a stage where it can be considered a leading candidate for cost-competitive PV electricity generation. Achievements such as high cell efficiencies, good module efficiencies, and the existence of pilot production facilities have placed CdTe in the first rank of thin films alongside CulnSe2. In addition, CdTe technology has animportant advantage in that a variety of low cost methods can be used to make quality layers. The low capital costs of these processes make it relatively easy to begin scaling up CdTe manufacturing. We may expect that a number of investors will accept the challenge of beginning serious CdTe manufacture in the near term. Needless to say, they will face issues impeding their success. These issueswill be the focus of this paper.