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A comment on Launch HN: Charge Robotics (YC S21) - Robots that build solar farms. Parent comment

Re:Launch HN: Charge Robotics (YC S21) - Robots that build s... by ncmncm on Wednesday March 23, 2022 @10:09PM (#30785748)
I am a little surprised that silicon is still competitive. I had the impression that cadmium telluride was much cheaper, in bulk. Or is it about reliability/lifetime?

(For home use, I worry about my neighborhood becoming a superfund site in event of a fire. I read claims that fire burning the house under CdTe panels will not release the 8g/m^2 of cadmium on them, but don't know how to evaluate that.)

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Re:Launch HN: Charge Robotics (YC S21) - Robots that build s... by banks_h on Wednesday March 23, 2022 @10:19PM (#30785793)
Yes, silicon is still the majority[1], and it really just boils down to all-in cost. In watts per dollar thin-film ends up being reasonably competitive with silicon, but only because it's manufactured in the US which has steep import tariffs on foreign PV modules.

[1]https://www.usa-cdte.org/

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Re:Launch HN: Charge Robotics (YC S21) - Robots that build s... by ncmncm on Wednesday March 23, 2022 @10:44PM (#30785924)
Ah, thanks, I missed the tariff bit.
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