Managing Potential Environmental and Human Health Risks of Lead Halide Perovskite Photovoltaic Modules

Mitchell Rencheck1, Cara Libby1, Angelique Montgomery2, Josh Stein2 1Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, United States /2Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, United States

Perovskite solar modules (PSMs) are an emerging photovoltaic (PV) technology that can be manufactured at low costs while maintain power conversion efficiency parity with other PV technologies on the market. Currently, some PSMs utilize lead halide perovskite which contain lead ions that are more soluble in water than other available PV technologies creating a unique potential environmental and human health risks. Assessment of the potential lead leaching risk could be performed in conjunction with PSM development to mitigate risk during deployment, among other options. Therefore, prior to commercialization, it is important to understand, identify, and begin to address the associated environmental and human health risks. Here, U.S. regulations that would pertain to environmental and human health risks associated with lead leaching are identified and discussed. From the identification of regulations, experimental approaches are proposed that address the potential risk of lead leaching during operational scenarios (fire, weather events, end of life management, etc.). Furthermore, strategies from other PV technologies are analyzed that have enabled overcoming of environmental and human health risks previously along with technological solutions specific to PSMs. The goal of this work is to elucidate and characterize methods and pathways for overcoming potential environmental and human health risks associated with lead leaching of PSMs.