Rebuttal to the - Social Media Release

Rebuttal to the “Scientists call on the EU to include
PV Modules under RoHS“
September 30, 2010 – A group of scientists recently published a ―Scientists call on
the EU to include PV Modules under RoHS‖ in which they urge European legislators
to extend the scope of the Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substance Use
in Electric and Electronic Appliances (RoHS) to include photovoltaic (PV) modules.
These scientists refer to a ―working paper‖ of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate,
Environment and Energy. This ―working paper‖ clearly acknowledges support from
the Non-Toxic Solar Alliance.
The conclusions on which the scientists and the Wuppertal Institute base their call
are not substantiated by the referenced reports prepared by the Norwegian
Geotechnical Institute and financed by a few silicon PV companies. In fact these
studies indicate that cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV modules are non-hazardous at end
of life, and pose negligible risk to the environment.
There are a multitude of publicly available studies that have been peer reviewed,
published, or presented at scientific conferences that confirm the positive
environmental, health and safety profile of CdTe PV technology over the entire
product life cycle, including the use of CdTe PV modules.
The undersigned companies remain committed to the exclusion of renewable energy
technologies in general and PV modules in particular from the scope of RoHS. We
believe that the environmental impacts of all energy generating technologies should
be evaluated on a life-cycle basis to ensure that the European Union (EU)
encourages the development of energy solutions that both protect the environment
and the economy, providing truly sustainable energy solutions to help the EU meet its
goals regarding climate change and energy security.

ANNEX – Scientific studies on the environmental profile of CdTe PV
Wild-Scholten, M., and Schottler, M., ―Solar as an Environmental Product: Thin-film
Modules – Production Processes and their Environmental Assessment,‖ Thin Film
Industry Forum, Berlin, 2009. (available at
http://www.ecn.nl/publicaties/default.aspx?nr=ECN-M–09-072)
Fthenakis, V., Kim, H., Alsema, E., ―Emissions from Photovoltaic Life Cycles,‖
Environmental Science & Technology, 2008, Vol 42, No. 6, 2168-2174.
Fthenakis, V., and Kim, H., ―Photovoltaics: Life-cycle Analyses,‖ Solar Energy, 2010,
(available at http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0038092X09002345)
Held, M., Bagdahn, J., and Wehrspohn, R., ―Scientific Comment of Fraunhofer to Life
Cycle Assessment of CdTe Photovoltaic’s,‖ Franhauhofer-Institute für
Werkstoffmechanik, Germany, 2010 (available at
http://www.iwm.fraunhofer.de/presse-undveranstaltungen/pressekontakt/details/id/149/)
Fthenakis, V., and Alsema, E., ―Photovoltaics Energy Payback Times, Greenhouse
Gas Emissions and External Costs: 2004–early 2005 Status,‖ Progress in
Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 2006, Vol 14, No 3, 275-280.
Raugei, M., and Frankl, P., ―Life Cycle Impacts and Costs of Photovoltaic Systems:
Current State of the Art and Future Outlooks,‖ Energy, 2009, Vol 34, No 3, 392-399.
Raugei, M., Bargigli, S., and Ulgiati, S., ―Life Cycle Assessment and Energy Payback
Time of Advanced Photovoltaic Modules: CdTe and CIS compared to Poly-Si,‖
Energy, 2007, Vol 32, No 8, 1310-1318.
Fthenakis, V., Kim, H., ―Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Life
Cycle of CdTe Photovoltaics,‖ Materials Research Society Symposium, Boston,
Massachusetts, 2005, 0895-G03-06.
Fthenakis, V., and Kim, H., ―Greenhouse-gas Emissions from Solar Electric and
Nuclear Power: A Life-cycle Study,‖ Energy Policy, 2007, Vol 35, No 4, 2549-2557.
Summary Report, Peer Review of Major Published Studies on the Environmental
Profile of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, Organized by
European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre (JRC), Moderated by the German
Ministry of the Environment (BMU), August 2005 (available at
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/refsys/pdf/Report%20Summary-peer%20review.pdf).
Fthenakis, V., and Kim, H., ―CdTe Photovoltaics: Life Cycle Environmental Profile
and Comparisons,‖ Thin Solid Films, 2007, Vol 515, No 15, 5961-5963.
Raugei, M., et al., ―Life Cycle Assessment of Present and Future Photovoltaic
Systems,‖ AIST Symposium Expectations and Advanced Technologies in Renewable
Energy, Chiba, Japan, 2007.

Wild-Scholten, M., et al., ―A cost and environmental impact comparison of gridconnected
rooftop and ground-based PV systems,‖ 21st European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference & Exhibition, Dresden, Germany, 2006. (available at
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2006/rx06024.pdf)
Fthenakis, V., Alsema, E., Wild-Schotten, M., ―Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic:
Perceptions, Needs, and Challenges,‖ 31st IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists
Conference, 2005, Orlando, Florida (available at
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2005/rx05024.pdf).
Alsema, E., Wild-Scholten, M., Fthenakis, V., ―Environmental Impacts of PV
Electricity Generation—A Critical Comparison of Energy Supply Options,‖ 21st
European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition, Dresden, Germany,
2006 (available at http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2006/rx06016.pdf).
Fthenakis, V., et al., ―Update of PV Energy Payback Times and Life-Cycle
Greenhouse Gas Emissions,‖ 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
& Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany, 2009, Paper 6DO.10.5.
Wild-Scholten, M., Alsema, E., ―External Costs of Photovoltaics‖ Workshop on Life
Cycle Analysis and Recycling of Solar Modules,‖ The ―Waste‖ Challenge, Brussels,
Belgium, 2004 (available at http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2004/rx04071.pdf).
Ito, I., Komoto, K., and Kurokawa, K., ―Life-cycle Analyses of Very-large Scale PV
Systems Using Six Types of PV Modules,‖ Current Applied Physics, 2010, Vol 10, No
2, S271-S273.
Sinha, P., et al., ―Regulatory Policy Governing Cadmium-Telluride Photovoltaics: A
Case Study Contrasting Life Cycle Management with the Precautionary Principle,‖
Energy Policy, 2008, Vol 36, No 1, 381-387.
Frankl, P., Corrado, A., Lombardelli, S., ―Environmental and Ecological Life Cycle
Inventories of Present and Future PV Systems in Europe for Sustainable Policies,‖
19th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition, Paris, France,
2004, 373-3379.
Wild-Scholten, M., and Alsema, E., ―Energetische Bewertung von PV-Modulen,‖
Erneuerbare Energien, 2006, No 9, 66-68.
Alsema, E., et al., ―Environmental Impacts of PV Electricity Generation—A Critical
Comparison of Energy Supply Options,‖ 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Conference & Exhibition, Dresden, Germany, 2006. (available at
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2006/rx06016.pdf)
Fthenakis, V., Kim, H., ―Cu(InGa)Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cells: Comparative Life-Cycle
Analysis of Buffer Layers,‖ 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference &
Exhibition, Milan, Italy 2007.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility in the Photovoltaic Industry; Part 1:
Environmental, Health and Safety Aspects, Murphy&Spitz Research, 2010.

Fthenakis, V., ―Sustainability of Photovoltaics: The Case for Thin-film Solar Cells,‖
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, Vol 13, No 9, 2746-2750.
Fthenakis, V., and Kim, H., ―Land Use and Electricity Generation: A Life-cycle
Analysis,‖ Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, Vol 13, No 6, 1465-
1474.
Denholm, P., and Margolis, R., ―Land-use Requirements and the Per-capita Solar
Footprint for Photovoltaic Generation in the United States,‖ Energy Policy, 2008, Vol
36, No 9, 3531-3543.
Fthenakis, V., and Kim, H., ―Life-cycle Uses of Water in U.S. Electricity Generation,‖
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2010, Vol 14, No 7, 2039-2048.
Frischknecht, R., and Stucki, M., ―IEA-PVPS Task 12: Aktualisierung der Ökobilanz
von CdTe PV – Annual Report 2008,‖ Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt,
Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation UVEK; Bundesamt für Energie BFE; Schweiz,
2008.
Raugei, M., ―Prospective Analysis of the Future Impact of CdTe PV in Terms of Cd
Demand and Cd Emissions,‖ 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
and Exhibition, Valencia, Spain, 2008 Paper 3BV.4.42.
Raugei, M., and Fthenakis, V., ―Cadmium Flows and Emissions from CdTe PV:
Future Expectations,‖ Energy Policy, 2010, Vol 38, No 9, 5223-5228.
Fthenakis, V., ―Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Cadmium Telluride Solar
Cells: Cd Emissions‖, National Photovoltaic Environmental Research Center,
Department of Environmental Sciences, 2004.
Fthenakis, V., ―Life Cycle Impact Analysis of Cadmium in CdTe PV Production,‖
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2004, Vol 8, No 4, 303-334.
Held, M., and Ilg, R., ―Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of CdTe Thin Film PV Modules
and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) of Cadmium Within EU 27,‖ 23rd European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition, Valencia, Spain, 2008, Paper
3BV.4.25.
Fthenakis, V., Wang, W., and Kim, H., ―Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of the
Production of Metals Used in Photovoltaics,‖ Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 2009, Vol 13, No 3, 493-517.
Raugei, M., ―Life Cycle Assessment of CdTe PV Decommissioning,‖ 24th European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany, 2009
Paper 3BV.5.84.
Knut, S., Schilling, S., Reinschmidt, J., Wambach, K., Schlenker, S., et al., ―Study on
the Development of a Take Back and Recovery System for Photovoltaic Products,‖
funded by German Ministry of the Environment (BMU), Grant Numbers: 03MAP092,
2007.

Berger, W., et al., ―A Novel Approach for the Recycling of Thin Film Photovoltaic
Modules,‖ Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2010, Vol 54, No 10, 711-718.
Mezei, A., Ashbury, M., Canizares, M., Molnar, R., Given, H., Meader, A., Squires,
K., Ojebuoboh, F., Jones, T., Wang, W., ―Hydrometallurgical Recycling of the
Semiconductor Material from Photovoltaic Materials – Part One: Leaching,‖ Society
for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration’s Hydrometallurgy, 6th International
Symposium, 2008.
Mezei, A., Ashbury, M., Canizares, M., Molnar, R., Given, H., Meader, A., Squires,
K., Ojebuoboh, F., Jones, T., Wang, W., ―Hydrometallurgical Recycling of the
Semiconductor Material from Photovoltaic materials – Part Two: Metal Recovery,‖
Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration’s Hydrometallurgy, 6th International
Symposium, 2008.
Fthenakis, V., Duby P., Wang, W., Graves, C., Belova, A., ―Recycling of CdTe
Photovoltaic Modules: Recovery of Glass, Cadmium and Tellurium,‖ 21st European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition, Dresden, Germany, 2006.
Wang, W., and Fthenakis, V., ―Kinetics Study on Separation of Cadmium from
Tellurium in Acidic Solution Media Using Ion-exchange Resins,‖ Journal of
Hazardous Materials, 2005, Vol 125, No 1, 80-88.
Fthenakis, V., et al., ―Emissions and Encapsulation of Cadmium in CdTe PV Modules
During Fires,‖ Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 2005, Vol 13,
No 8, 713-723.
Zayed, J., and Philippe, S., ―Acute Oral and Inhalation Toxicities in Rats with
Cadmium Telluride,‖ International Journal of Toxicology, 2009, Vol 28, No 4, 259-
265.
Fthenakis, V., et al., ―Experimental Investigation of Emissions and Redistribution of
Elements in CdTe PV Modules During Fires,‖ 19th European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference & Exhibition, Paris, France, 2004, Paper 5BV.1.32 (available at
http://www.nrel.gov/pv/thin_film/docs/fthenakis_2004_cdte_fires_paris_preprint.pdf)
Fthenakis, V., and Zweibel K., ―CdTe PV: Real and Perceived EHS Risks,‖
NREL/CP-520-33561, National Center for Photovoltaics and Solar Program Review
Meeting, Denver, Colorado, 2003. (available at
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/33561.pdf)
Zweibel, K., and Fthenakis, V., ―Cadmium Facts and Handy Comparisons,‖ National
Renewable Energy Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory (available at
http://www.nrel.gov/pv/cdte/pdfs/cdte_factsheet.pdf).