This document discusses how thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology could meet terawatt-scale solar power generation. It notes that producing 1 TW of power would require 5000 km2 of solar panels with 20% efficiency. Current thin film technologies like cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) have efficiencies around 15% and 12% respectively but face resource constraints at terawatt scales. Emerging technologies like perovskites may help overcome these issues. The document concludes that terawatt production by 2050 is achievable through contributions from multiple solar technologies, depending on their development success.

1. How thin film PV will
meet the TW scale
generation?
Giulio Mazzotta, Christos Potamialis, Peter Yates
Liverpool, 14/11/2014
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 1 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

2. The energy problem
Actual distribution of energy sources Solar Energy
Source: International Energy Agency, 2013
120 000TW·year
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 2 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?
17.4 TW·year
World Primary Energy
Supply, 2011
Source: IEA, 2013
Average solar energy reaching
Earth surface every year
Source: V. Smil, OCSE, 2006
**:eolic, geothermal, solar

3. Carbon Dioxide!
Source: OICA, 2013
“Limiting warming to 2.5 °C or 3 °C involves
similar challenges, but less quickly. These
pathways would require substantial emissions
reductions over the next few decades, and
near zero emissions of CO2 and other long
livedGHGs over by the end of the century.”
CLIMATE CHANGE 2014 SYNTHESIS REPORT, IPCC
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 3 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

4. What surface do we need?
1 TW production:
Let’s assume:
 20% efficiency (let’s be optimistic!)
 Intensity 1000 W/m2
=
5 000 km2
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 4 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

5. MONEY!
Source: Fraunhofer Institute, 2013
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 5 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

6. Existing manufacturing
Existing installed capacity: 102 GW (data from: EPIA)
(data from: Fraunhofer Inst.)
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 6 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

7. Current thin-film technology: CdTe
• Absorber thickness ≈ 2μm
• Tellurium in Active Layer ≈ 50%
• Module efficiency ≈ 15%
Picture from Speirs et al, UKNERC
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 7 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

8. Current thin-film technology: CIGS
• Absorber thickness ≈ 2μm
• Indium in Active Layer ≈ 20%-30%
• Module efficiency of ≈ 12%
Picture from Speirs et al, UKNERC
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 8 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

9. Emerging thin-film technologies
• CZTS
• Organometal Halide hybrid
perovskites
• Organic
ppiiccttuurree ffrroom:: sLmpeiiebe s.eotrl aagrl,. mScaiteenrc.uen 3im38i,b 6.i4t3 (2012);
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 9 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

10. Earth abundance of materials
1 TW from CdTe:
93 000 tons of Te required1
80 tonnes/year2 increase
≈ 50 years for TW prod
(1): wikipedia.org
Tellurium production
Graph from Speirs et al, UKERC
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 10 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

11. Earth abundance of materials (2)
Indium production
Graph from Speirs et al, UKERC
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 11 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

12. CdTe production
Source: Fthenakis, MRS Bulletin, 37,2012
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 12 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

13. Market growth and projections
Source IEA, 2008
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 13 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

14. Technical solutions
Ground mounted Commercial
Residential roof mounted Building integration
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 14 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?

15. Summary
• TW production by 2050 with solar power is
achievable
• Is unlikely to be done with only one technology
• How much each technology will contribute
depends on the success of current R&D of each
technology
G. Mazzotta, C. Potamialis, P. Yates 15 / How thin film PV will meet the TW scale generation?