Fate and Exposure Assessment of Pb Leachate from Hypothetical Breakage Events of Perovskite Photovoltaic Modules.

Emerging lead halide perovskite (LHP) photovoltaics are undergoing intense research and development due to their outstanding efficiency and potential for low manufacturing costs that render them competitive with existing photovoltaic (PV) technologies. While today's efforts are focused on stability and scalability of LHPs, the toxicity of lead (Pb) remains a major challenge to their large-scale commercialization. Here, we present a screening-level, EPA-compliant model of fate and transport of Pb leachate in groundwater, soil, and air, following hypothetical catastrophic breakage of LHP PV modules in conceptual utility-scale sites. We estimated exposure point concentrations of Pb in each medium and found that most of the Pb is sequestered in soil. Exposure point concentrations of Pb from the perovskite film fell well below EPA maximum permissible limits in groundwater and air even upon catastrophic release from PV modules at large scales. Background Pb levels in soil can influence soil regulatory compliance, but the highest observed concentrations of perovskite-derived Pb would not exceed EPA limits under our assumptions. Nonetheless, regulatory limits are not definitive thresholds of safety, and the potential for increased bioavailability of perovskite-derived Pb may warrant additional toxicity assessment to further characterize public health risks.

Realistic operation of two residential cordwood-fired outdoor hydronic heater appliances-Part 1: Particulate and gaseous emissions.

This study investigated how heat demand and fuel loading affect the emissions from outdoor wood-fired hydronic heaters by testing two such appliances using an integrated-duty cycle test method. This test included transient operating conditions, such as cold and hot-starts and modulation between 15 and 100% of maximum rated output. Emission values indicate transient operating conditions produce higher emissions than steady state operation. Cold starts resulted in elevated particulate matter emission factors for both appliances; in one case the particulate matter emission factor for this period was >3500 mg/MJ, which represented emissions 20 times the average value. Additionally, when heat demand was cycled-elevated CO emission factors were measured, with values >5000 mg/MJ for both appliances and more than 3 times the appliance averages, respectively. It follows that the appliance average particulate matter emission factors and CO emission factors were not representative of the actual EF values during these transient periods. In contrast, methane emission factors were relatively stable throughout all tested combustion conditions; however, they were much higher than oil-fired appliances are therefore should not be ignored. These findings demonstrate that wood-fired hydronic heater emissions during transient operating conditions can be significantly greater than emissions during steady-state test conditions, such as those used in typical certification tests. Consequently, certification test values for particulate matter and CO emission factors may significantly underestimate the actual emissions of these appliances when operated in a home. Use of integrated duty-cycle test protocols that capture cold-starts and reloading are better for representing in-use operations of wood-fired hydronic heaters and provide more realistic emissions and delivered efficiency measurements.Implications: In this work we provide information on the particulate and gaseous emissions from two wood fired outdoor hydronic heaters. The units were tested using an integrated duty cycle test method that captured cold starts, reload, cyclic and modulating periods between 15 and 100% of maximum rated output. The data and results show a much higher emission factor than those reported by current certification test methods but are more representative of how the units operate in the field.

A solar energy desalination analysis tool, sedat, with data and models for selecting technologies and regions.

There is interest for desalination technologies powered by solar energy as arid areas are typically bestowed with good solar potential. In response to a US DOE call for solar desalination analysis tools, we developed an open-source solar energy desalination analysis tool, sedat, for techno-economical evaluation of desalination technologies and selection of regions with the highest potential for using solar energy to power desalination plants. It is expected that this software will simplify the planning, design, and valuation of solar desalination systems in the U.S. and worldwide. Sedat uses Dash for integrating various layers of large volumes of GIS data with Python-based models of solar energy generation and desalination technologies. It derives time-series of energy generation and water production, with details of plant performance and suggestions for improving the solar-desalination coupling. This paper summarizes the various phases of the tool's development, presents example results showing the potential, under multiple objectives, of solar desalination in parts of the U.S. southwest, and discusses method details that would be useful for future model development.

Life-cycle nitrogen trifluoride emissions from photovoltaics.

Amorphous- and nanocrystalline-silicon thin-film photovoltaic modules are made in high-throughput manufacturing lines that necessitate quickly cleaning the reactor. Using NF3, a potent greenhouse gas, as the cleaning agent triggered concerns as recent reports reveal that the atmospheric concentrations of this gas have increased significantly. We quantified the life-cycle emissions of NF3 in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, on the basis of actual measurements at the facilities of a major producer of NF3 and of a manufacturer of PV end-use equipment. From these, we defined the best practices and technologies that are the most likely to keep worldwide atmospheric concentrations of NF3 at very low radiative forcing levels. For the average U.S. insolation and electricity-grid conditions, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing and using NF3 in current PV a-Si and tandem a-Si/nc-Si facilities add 2 and 7 g CO2(eq)/kWh, which can be displaced within the first 1-4 months of the PV system life.

Design and optimization of photovoltaics recycling infrastructure.

With the growing production and installation of photovoltaics (PV) around the world constrained by the limited availability of resources, end-of-life management of PV is becoming very important. A few major PV manufacturers currently are operating several PV recycling technologies at the process level. The management of the total recycling infrastructure, including reverse-logistics planning, is being started in Europe. In this paper, we overview the current status of photovoltaics recycling planning and discuss our mathematic modeling of the economic feasibility and the environmental viability of several PV recycling infrastructure scenarios in Germany; our findings suggest the optimum locations of the anticipated PV take-back centers. Short-term 5-10 year planning for PV manufacturing scraps is the focus of this article. Although we discuss the German situation, we expect the generic model will be applicable to any region, such as the whole of Europe and the United States.

Hazard and operability (HAZOP) analysis. A literature review.

Hazard and operability (HAZOP) methodology is a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) technique used worldwide for studying not only the hazards of a system, but also its operability problems, by exploring the effects of any deviations from design conditions. Our paper is the first HAZOP review intended to gather HAZOP-related literature from books, guidelines, standards, major journals, and conference proceedings, with the purpose of classifying the research conducted over the years and define the HAZOP state-of-the-art.

Emissions from photovoltaic life cycles.

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies have shown remarkable progress recently in terms of annual production capacity and life cycle environmental performances, which necessitate timely updates of environmental indicators. Based on PV production data of 2004-2006, this study presents the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, criteria pollutant emissions, and heavy metal emissions from four types of major commercial PV systems: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, and thin-film cadmium telluride. Life-cycle emissions were determined by employing average electricity mixtures in Europe and the United States during the materials and module production for each PV system. Among the current vintage of PV technologies, thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV emits the least amount of harmful air emissions as it requires the least amount of energy during the module production. However, the differences in the emissions between different PV technologies are very small in comparison to the emissions from conventional energy technologies that PV could displace. As a part of prospective analysis, the effect of PV breeder was investigated. Overall, all PV technologies generate far less life-cycle air emissions per GWh than conventional fossil-fuel-based electricity generation technologies. At least 89% of air emissions associated with electricity generation could be prevented if electricity from photovoltaics displaces electricity from the grid.

Kinetics study on separation of cadmium from tellurium in acidic solution media using ion-exchange resins.

The feasibility of using ion-exchange resins to separate cadmium from tellurium in acidic solutions of the two metals was investigated. We studied the competitive adsorption of cadmium and tellurium in such resins under varying acid strengths and contact time. We found that low sulfuric acid strength (i.e., 0.5 M) was most effective in removing cadmium from solutions. Different ion-exchange resins were tested for their affinity for cadmium and tellurium ions. In the selected systems, the ion-exchange rate of cadmium was rapid in the first 20 min, and reached equilibrium within 2 h. The Lagergren first-order model described the kinetic data with high coefficient of determination and correlation values. At room temperatures the ion-exchange for cadmium onto the resin followed the Freundlich isotherm model. The maximum removal of cadmium obtained from batch studies using resin A was 91%. Column studies with the same resin showed a removal of cadmium of 99.99% or higher.