Current Status of Polycrystalline Thin-Film PV Technologies

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

    Abstract

    In the past 18 months, thin-film solar cell technologies based on CdTe and CIS have made significant technical progress. Most of the improvements have occurred at the level of solar cells, modules, systems, and reliability testing in both CdTe and CIS. Total-area efficiencies of 14.7% for a thin-film CdTe solar cell deposited on a low-cost, sodalime glass fabricated by Golden Photon, Inc; wasverified by NREL. Siemens Solar Industries has fabricated a world-record, aperture-area efficiency of 11.1% and a power output of 40.6 W for a thin-film CIGSS module. Solar Cells, Inc. has fabricated a large-area, thin-film CdTe module with an aperture-area efficiency of 9.1% and power output of 61.3 W; Golden Photon, Inc., has; also fabricated a power module with an aperture-area efficiency of9.2% and power output of 31.0 W. Key research issues for CdTe and CIS are discussed in this paper. Several polycrystalline thin-film arrays based on CdTe and one based on CIGSS have been deployed worldwide. Stability data indicated by both thin-film CIS and thin-film CdTe modules and; systems are encouraging. Many companies worldwide are actively pursuing early commercialization efforts based onboth speciality products and power modules.
    Original languageAmerican English
    Pages301-305
    Number of pages5
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1997
    EventTwenty Sixth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - Anaheim, California
    Duration: 29 Sep 19973 Oct 1997

    Conference

    ConferenceTwenty Sixth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
    CityAnaheim, California
    Period29/09/973/10/97

    Bibliographical note

    For preprint version, including full text online document, see NREL/CP-520-22922

    NREL Publication Number

    • NREL/CP-520-25033

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