Open AccessEnvironmental assessment of advanced thin film manufacturing process. Final report
Author(s) -
Daniel W. Cunningham,
E. Mopas,
Diane Skinner,
Lisa C. McGuire,
M. Strehlow
Publication year - 1998
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/663419
Subject(s) - reuse , environmental science , cadmium , wastewater , waste management , cadmium telluride photovoltaics , work (physics) , environmental engineering , engineering , chemistry , nanotechnology , materials science , mechanical engineering , organic chemistry
This report describes work performed by BP Solar, Inc., to provide an extensive preproduction analysis of waste-stream abatement at its plant in Fairfield, California. During the study, numerous technologies were thoroughly evaluated, which allowed BP Solar to select systems that outperformed the stringent federal and state regulations. The main issues were originally perceived to be controlling cadmium compound releases to both air and wastewater to acceptable levels and adopting technologies for air and water waste streams in an efficient, cost-effective manner. BP Solar proposed high-efficiency, reliable control equipment that would reduce air-contaminant emission levels below levels of concern. Cadmium telluride dust is successfully controlled with high-efficiency (>99.9%) bag-in/bag-out filters. For air abatement, carbon canisters provide efficient VOC reduction, and wastewater pretreatment is required per federal pretreatment standards. BP Solar installed a cadmium-scavenging ion exchange system and electrowinning system capable of removing cadmium to <10 ppb (local publicly-owned-treatment-works limits for cadmium is 30 ppb). BP Solar plans to maximize potential reuse of rinse waters by phasing in additional wastewater treatment technologies. Finally, the work to date has identified the areas that need to be revisited as production scales up to ensure that all health, safety, and environmental goals are met