Final Technical Report, Phase I, Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology, Final Subcontract Report, 9 January 1991 - 14 April 1991

A development/manufacturing program is described for achieving photovoltaic modules at a cost less than $.50/Watt and solar generating fields at a total installed system cost of less than $1.50/Watt. The basic approach is to construct a fully automated continuous production line based on close spaced sublimation (CSS) deposition of CdTe to produce 60 cm {times} 120 cm thin-film PV modules. Thehigh deposition rate possible with CSS opens up the possibility of obtaining very high throughput in the range of hundreds of megawatts per year. This leads to dramatic reductions in the capital, labor and overhead cost per unit. The program includes a development phase, an initial production line of about 5-MW/year capacity, a 5 MW solar generating field, and a high-throughput production linewith a capacity in the range of hundreds of megawatts per year.