Compounds In Solar Panels

As state and federal agencies investigate genx in groundwater carolina journal has learned genx and its family of unregulated emerging contaminants are present in some of the solar panels increasingly dotting north carolina s landscape.

Compounds in solar panels.

The overwhelming majority of solar panels are composed of cells made of either monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon. The difference consists of how silicon crystals in the ingots or wafers are harvested developed and formed each creating a different look and color to their appearance. During manufacture and after the disposal of solar panels they release hazardous chemicals including cadmium compounds silicon tetrachloride hexafluoroethane and lead. Solar panels consist of two most well known types of solar cells polycrystalline and monocrystalline.

What are the parts of a solar panel. The genx process produces two pfas compounds commonly referred to as frd903 and frd902. Genx is known to be used in making teflon film that coats many solar panels. A solar cell is made of two types of semiconductors called p type and n type silicon.

Genx chemicals are classified as perfluorinated alkylated substances commonly called pfas. Because boron has one less electron than is required to form the bonds with the surrounding silicon atoms an electron vacancy or hole is created. Stryman also confirmed that the genx chemicals are included in the broad classification of pfas compounds. When asked if solar panels contain genx strynar explained that genx technically is not a chemical but rather a chemical process.

Though there are subtle differences between the two neither one is necessary better than the other. There s literally so many thousands of these compounds and we don t have methods to measure most of them. Metal frame typically aluminum glass sheet for casing.