The behaviour of PV markets over the last decade in Europe has taught us that not only it is necessary to optimally design support schemes, but that priority access to the grid for renewable energy sources and the reduction of administrative barriers are the key market drivers for sustainable development and essential for the markets to sustainably develop in the long term. This paper provides an overview of Europe’s PV market performance and delivers policy recommendations by means of EPIA’s PV Observatory model.
Processing silicon substrates for PV applications involves texturing, cleaning and/or etching wafer surfaces with chemical solutions. Depending on the cleanliness of the industrial equipment and the purity of the chemical solutions, surface contamination with metals or organic residues is possible [1]. The presence of trace contamination at PV junctions leads to both mid-level traps and photonic defects, which ultimately cause reduced efficiency and rapid cell degradation. Metallic impurities have a greater impact on PV cell lifetime due to their deeper energy levels in the silicon band gap [2]. On the other hand, non-metallic impurities may modify the electrical activity of PV cells because these species involve complex interactions with the host silicon lattice and its structural defects. In other words, very small amounts of contamination can result in poor PV efficiency. This paper presents an overview of the effects of adding a biodegradable complexing agent in cleaning and rinsing baths to minimize surface contamination and thereby enhance solar cell efficiency.
After the encapsulation step, a c-Si solar module’s output is usually decreased, in comparison to its cells’ power, which is referred to as ‘power loss’. This paper focuses on the various factors that can impact power loss of solar modules, such as solar cell classification, encapsulation material, match of solar cells, the encapsulation process used, and so on. The conclusion indicates that power loss in solar modules can be significantly decreased with a resulting increment of a module’s output by appropriately optimizing those factors.
Solar enterprises will each be faced with the occasional surplus or lack of solar modules in their lifetimes. In these instances, it is useful to adjust these stock levels at short notice, thus creating a spot market. Spot markets serve the short-term trade of different products, where the seller is able to permanently or temporarily offset surplus, while buyers are able to access attractive offers on surplus stocks and supplement existing supplyarrangements as a last resort.
This paper reviews the status of solar cell technology based on n-type crystalline silicon wafers. It aims to explain the reasons behind the strong and increasing attention for n-type cells, including the inherent advantages of n-type base doping for high diffusion length, and for the industrialization of designs with good rear-side electronic and optical properties. The focus will be on cells using diffused junctions.
Since the 1980s, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) has been the standard encapsulation material for crystalline photovoltaic modules. From a mechanical point of view, the encapsulant takes the function of a compliant buffer layer surrounding the solar cells. Therefore, understanding its complex mechanical properties is essential for a robust module design that withstands thermal and mechanical loads. In the cured state after lamination, its stiffness features a high sensitivity to temperature especially in the glass transition region around -35°C, and a dependence on time which becomes obvious in relaxation and creep behaviour. This paper outlines the viscoelastic properties of EVA and the corresponding standard experimental methods, as well as the impact on the accuracy of wind and snow load test procedures for PV modules.
When Stion started looking for sites to establish its first volume production plant, Mississippi was not even on its radar. After vetting some “100 different opportunities, state and local flavors and locations,” the San Jose-based thin-film PV module company had “narrowed the list down to a half-dozen or so pretty quickly,” including Texas, Virginia, Michigan, and California, according to CEO Chet Farris.
With more than 80% of PV module demand being satisfied by crystalline-based modules, the health of the silicon and wafer supply chain is of vital importance to the overall PV industry. This paper reviews the overall materials value chain from the manufacture of PV silicon to the wafer, prepared for manufacture of the cell. A glimpse is provided of the various market dynamics that exist in the supply chain, as well as the technology trends that influence or threaten the supply of wafers. Although the manufacturing routes are mature and well established, we also take a look at the possibility of novel and disruptive technologies altering the overall supply landscape.
Germany and Italy are forecasted to drive solar demand to new highs in 2011, with rumours of installations up to 22GW on the cards for this year. The German and Italian markets, scheduled to peak in 2011 and 2012, respectively, face a potential problem in terms of where to sell their modules if these two countries cannot accommodate 10GW of installations per year. The emerging markets can solve part of this challenge and will deliver new opportunities to the solar industry. Some Asian, European and Middle Eastern regions will require up to of 6GW of solar-generated electricity, while the Americas, Africa and Australia are each projected to install approximately 1GW in 2014. This paper takes a look at the development of these emerging markets and provides a projection of likely installation figures up to 2015.
Laser-doped selective emitter (LDSE) technology, invented and patented by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), is presently generating considerable interest in the photovoltaics industry due to its low cost, high efficiency, and suitability for mass production. The excellent results achieved to date – as high as 19.7% on small area laboratory test devices [1], and 19.0% on industrial large-area 156mm wafers [2] – are attracting a similarly impressive array of commercial partners. Nearly 10 companies are at various stages of implementation of LDSE technology variants into production and pilot production. This paper takes a closer look at the potential for mass production of LDSE-based solar cells.
