Summary
High solar PV project costs, high cell/module production costs and increasing land acquisition costs are key factors driving solar cell manufacturer's research on solar cell/module efficiency enhancement. The R&D activities to improve solar cell/ module efficiencies have been yielding better results year on year. The first generation technologies (crystalline solar cells) are leading the solar PV industry followed by second generation technologies (thin film solar cells) in terms of cell conversion efficiency. It is now anticipated that research in second and third generation technologies (thin film and nano technology solar cells respectively) will enable the production of more efficient solar modules at a price cheaper than that of crystalline modules. In another development, Universities and research institutes are also undertaking research to enhance solar cell efficiencies. For example, Stanford University is working on Photon Enhanced Thermion Emission (PETE) that can double solar cell efficiency. Thus development in the technology and process will double the present solar cell efficiency in the near future.
Scope
Its scope includes -
- Constraints-induced Technology Advancements
- First Generation Technologies
- Second Generation Technologies
- Third Generation Technologies
- Key Drivers for Solar Cell Efficiency Enhancement
- Improving Solar PV Project Economics
- Reducing Polysilicon Supply Pressure
- Competitive Positioning
- Space Constraint
The viewpoint studies on the development of Solar Cell Efficiency. It will allow the reader to -
- Identifying Key Initiatives in Improving Efficiency in Major Countries, 2009-10
- Compare and Analyze Various Solar Cell Technologies Based on Efficiency, Price and Technology Maturity
- Analyze the Future Trends in Solar PV Technology Outlook on Efficiency
- Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission (PETE)
- Nanotechnology Enhanced Thin-Film Solar Cell.