Solar energy technologies provide clean energy without greenhouse gases, air pollution, acid rain, or damage to soil, plants, animals, or human health. There are various photovoltaic technologies for converting sunlight into electricity such as crystalline silicon and thin films made from materials like amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium gallium selenide. Thin film photovoltaic production is led by American companies First Solar and Global Solar.

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Solar Electric
Technologies
Harin S. Ullal, Ph.D.
National Center for Photovoltaics
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado
TIE Rockies
April 9, 2009

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Solar Energy — Clean Energy
• No greenhouse gases
• No air pollution
• No acid rain
• No soil, plant, animal damage
• No human respiratory
ailments

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The Concept

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Criteria
• Efficiency
• Cost
• Reliability

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Photovoltaic Technologies
• Crystalline Silicon (Mono, Multi)
• Thin Films (a-Si, CIS, CdTe)
• Concentrators (Si, GaAs)

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PV Efficiencies

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Top Ten PV Companies - 2008
No. Name Technology Country Production (MW)
1 Q-Cells Si Germany 570
2 First Solar CdTe USA 504
3 Suntech Si China 498
4 Sharp Si Japan 473
5 Motech Si Taiwan 384
6 Kyocera Si Japan 290
7 BTY Si China 282
8 JA Solar Si China 277
9 SunPower Si USA 237
10 SolarWorld Si Germany 221

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Major Polysilicon Manufactures
• Wacker - Germany
• Hemlock - USA
• MEMC - USA
• REC Silicon - Norway
• Tokuyama - Japan
• Mitsubishi Materials - Japan
• Sumitomo Titanium - Japan

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Concentrator PV Technologies
• Technologies are ready to deliver
• High (200-1000x) and low (2-20x)
concentrations
• Systems may require some
maintenance, should only be deployed
in areas with adequate “direct” solar
resource

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Thin Film PV Companies – USA
•a-Si
•Uni-Solar – MI
•Applied Materials
– CA
•Power Films – IA
•Energy PV – NJ
•MV Systems –
CO
•XsunX – CA
•OptiSolar – CA
•Signet Solar –
CA
•Nano PV – NJ
•Xunlight – OH
•Proto Flex – CO
•New Solar
Ventures – NM
•CdTe
•First Solar –
OH
•Primestar Solar
– CO
•AVA Solar –
CO
•Calyxo – OH
•Canrom – NY
•Ascentool – CA
•Nuvo Solar
Energy – CO
•Zia Watt Solar
– TX
•Solexant – CA
•Sunovia
Energy – FL
• CIS
• Global
Solar – AZ
• Miasole –
CA
• Energy PV
– NJ
• Ascent
Solar – CO
• ISET – CA
• Daystar –
NY
• Nanosolar
– CA
• Heliovolt –
TX
• Solo Power
– CA
•Thin-Si
•Innovalight –
CA
•Nanogram –
CA
•Soltaix – CA
•Crystal Solar –
CA
•Parachete
Energy – SC
•Ampulse – TN

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Thin Film PV Market Share – USA

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World PV Cell/Module Production –
1988-2007 (Megawatts)

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Is There Enough Sunshine to
Energize America?
That’s right! This bright spot covers a circle of Nevada desert
about 100 miles across, that if covered with modern PV
arrays, would satisfy America’s entire electricity demand.

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Flexible CIGS Modules on Tent
Global Solar

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Thin Film CIGS Facade
Honda

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BIPV and “Special” Product

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1.8 MW – Thin Film CdTe Solar Roof
First Solar / Juwi Solar

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40 MW – Thin Film CdTe Solar Field
First Solar / Juwi Solar
Under Construction
Total Project Price: Euro – 130 Million
PV System Price: Euro – 3.25 / Watts
Completion Date: December 2008

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Thin Film PV Capacity (2009-2012)