Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Reduction of Cost of Solar PV
PV Market Share Forecast in 2011
$25
Germany 37%
Spain 7%
$20
Italy 14%
$15
Rest of
Europe 13%
Rest of
the world 5%
China 3%
$10
North
America 10%
Asia-Pacific 3%
Japan 8%
Si Solar Cells ~$(3-4)/W
$5
CdTe Solar Cells <$1/W
$0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: NREL, First Solar & EPIA PV Market Report (May 2011)
Source: EPIA, Global Market Outlook Report (April 2011)
Figure 2.6
The reduction of cost of solar energy between 1980 and 2010
mainly using Si technology. See also Colour Insert.
e
ciency of devices using this elemental semiconductor with
many advantages are continuing in the research, development, and
manufacturing stages.
PV solar applications are rapidly growing worldwide, but Japan,
the US, and Germany are leading the way. China and India are
introducing PV generation facilities rapidly, and Fig. 2.6 also shows
the green world scenario in 2011.
2.4 PV Technology Based on III-V Compounds
In parallel to Si technology, high-e
ciency solar cells have been
produced using III-V semiconductors such as GaAs, AlGaAs, AlGaP,
andInAs.Thesematerialshavebeenusedtoproducecomplexdevice
structureswithmanymateriallayersinvolved(seeFig.2.7).Tandem
solar cells using tunnel-junctions were proposed in 1979 [4] and
practiced to date to develop these solar cells. The work in this
field has produced impressive
∼
40% conversion e
ciency to date,
but there is huge potential to improve this further. A disadvantage
of this device structure was pointed out by the author in 2005
[5-7], and the removal of this disadvantage will increase the e
-
ciencywellbeyond40%.Thiswillbedescribedindetailsinchapters
6, 7, and 8 of this topic. The growth of III-V semiconductors needs
techniquessuchasmolecularbeamepitaxy(MBE)andmetalorganic
chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), which are prohibitively
expensiveintheproductionofPVmodulestechnologyforterrestrial
