About NCPV and the TFPPP

Much of the research regarding the use of cadmium telluride in PV modules and related safety issues has been conducted by the National Photovoltaic Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Assistance Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. The EH&S Project is one of four national teams of the Thin-Film PV Partnership Program (TFPPP), a cost-shared development program of the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV). The NCPV is a world leader in developing the full potential of photovoltaics as a global energy source. Based at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, its members include researchers from NREL and Sandia National Laboratory. NCPV members strive to:

• Facilitate communications between researchers and members of industry.
• Devise ways to expand PV applications to help the national photovoltaic industry and end-users.
• Bring people together through conferences and forums to share information and concerns.
• Provide and develop various forms of information for people with a wide range of needs.

The Thin-Film PV Partnership Program brings together members of research and industry to further advance the thin-film technology. The TFPPP is divided into four national teams:

1. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) team
2. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) team
3. Copper indium diselenide (CuInSe₂ or CIS) and alloys (CIGS) team
4. NCPV Photovoltaic Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) Project at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
   
   The EH&S team addresses issues related to:
   
   
   • The commercialization of PV technologies, from R&D to manufacturing and use.
   • The use and disposal of cadmium and selenium and related health concerns.
   • The handling and recycling of waste material that never makes it into PV modules.
   • Obtaining EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) certification of both CdTe and CIS modules and methods of removing materials from substrates and refining them for reuse.

NCPV's Other Core Capabilities

Manufacturing and Deployment

Besides the Thin-Film PV Partnership Program, the NCPV sponsors the Advanced Manufacturing R&D Program. The goal of the Advanced Manufacturing R&D Program is to help U.S. industry improve PV manufacturing processes and equipment; accelerate manufacturing cost reductions for PV modules, balance-of-systems components, and integrated systems; increase commercial product performance and reliability; and enhance the investment opportunities for substantially scaling up U.S. manufacturing capacity and increasing U.S. market share.

Material and Device Development

Core competencies of NCPV's research capabilities in the area of innovative semiconductor materials include:

• Fundamental and exploratory research.
• Studies of crystalline silicon materials and devices.
• Research into thin-film technologies.
• High-efficiency concepts and concentrators.

Measurements and Characterization

NCPV's core competencies in the area of measurements and characterization include:

• Analytical microscopy.
• Surface and interface analyses of materials and electro-optical characterization.
• Analyses of cell and device operation.
• Computer modeling and theory of system and component performance.
• Chemical and analytical characterization techniques and instruments for U.S. firms.

Module and System Development

The NCPV's user-accessible laboratories are used for:

• Fabricating and evaluating photovoltaic devices.
• Developing and testing balance-of-systems components such as charge controllers and inverters.

Performance and Reliability Testing

Prototype cells, modules, and systems are tested to verify performance and improve reliability. Researchers use outdoor test beds, indoor laboratories, and field trials to evaluate PV technologies under simulated and actual outdoor conditions.

Solar Resource Characterization

NCPV members use state-of-the-art measurement systems to characterize solar resources.

• Electronic data sets depict global distribution of solar resources.
• Satellite imagery, meteorological data, and models are used for regions with limited sampling data.

Market Development and Outreach

NCPV members:

• Strive to be the focal point for PV information and outreach activities.
• Provide end-user assistance.
• Provide technological, economic, and environmental impact analyses for specific applications.
• Promote development (with U.S. companies) of utility and federal facility markets for PV.
• Provide assistance for utilities, federal agencies, and international customers in obtaining alternative financing for PV installations.