“We are heading towards wholesale grid parity several years earlier than expected.”
A new Silicon Valley developer of thin film solar PV modules, backed by an Australian venture capitalist, has claimed an engineering breakthrough that could cut the manufacturing costs of PV modules by one third.
RSI has broken cover after five years of development to announce it has created a 1.5 square metre cadmium telluride PV (CdTe) module, twice the size of conventional modules.
It says this will enable solar PV modules to be manufactured at a cost of less than 40c/Watt, around one third cheaper than current mass-produced thin film and silicon based modules – and hastening the charge towards grid parity for solar PV.
First Solar, currently the world’s largest thin film solar PV module manufacturer, had predicted reaching 40c/W by 2017 through increases in efficiency. RSI says it can deliver that cost in 2014 by doubling the size of the module through a process known as Rapid Efficient Electroplating on Large- areas (REEL).
The company is backed by a group of venture capital firms, including the CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund co-managed by Australian Paul Fox, as well as Silicon Valley powerhouse Mayfield Fund, greentech VC specialist Nth Power, and Vancouver-based Pangaea.
Fox told RenewEconomy that the technology breakthrough would hasten the march towards grid parity for solar PV.
“The significance is that we can now deliver 40c/W, and will do so in 2014. People didn’t expect that to happen until 2017. This is a real acceleration. It is a step change in cost structure of PV. We are heading towards wholesale grid parity several years earlier than expected.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Thin-film PV
- Researchers outline path forward for tandem solar cellson April 26, 2024 at 7:22 am
As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one. The same is true when it comes to solar cells working in tandem. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy ...
- A look at freshwater usage in solar manufacturingon April 26, 2024 at 4:00 am
With solar power becoming more economical, quick to deploy and zero-emissions, it’s quickly emerged as a winner in the energy transition. As a result, ...
- South Korea plans 120 GW space solar projecton April 25, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Two Korean research institutes are designing a space solar power satellite project with the aim of providing approximately 1 TWh of electricity to the Earth per year. The proposed system would use ...
- Photovoltaic Research Challenges: Overcoming Hurdles in Solar Technologyon April 24, 2024 at 7:44 am
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has evolved in the past few years, particularly in solar panels and systems. However, researchers and institutions are actively working to overcome limitations to ...
- First Solar, ZSW to develop thin-film, CIGS and perovskite technologyon April 22, 2024 at 7:07 am
US cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar manufacturer First Solar has agreed to pursue further thin-film technology development with ZSW.
- First Solar and ZSW collaborate on thin-film PV techon April 22, 2024 at 6:30 am
Leading solar company First Solar and research institute ZSW have announced a partnership to develop new technology for thin film solar PV. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, ZSW is a research institute ...
- Soltec launches dual-row, single-axis trackeron April 22, 2024 at 5:30 am
The SFOneX dual-row, single-axis tracker has a tracking range of up to 60 degrees, offering compatibility with 60-cell, 72-cell and 78-cell modules.
- ZSW and First Solar announce research partnership on thin film PVon April 21, 2024 at 10:13 am
ZSW is a research institute with over 30 years of experience and knowledge in the field of thin film photovoltaics. Since its foundation, the main objective has been on materials development and ...
- ZSW, First Solar partner to collaborate on thin-film PVon April 19, 2024 at 6:00 am
Württemberg (ZSW) and First Solar have agreed to work together to develop thin-film PV technologies on a gigawatt scale.
- New vapor deposition tech could accelerate commercialization of perovskite solar cellson April 17, 2024 at 9:15 am
A U.S.-based team developed a vapor deposition technique to fabricate outperforming all-inorganic perovskite thin films in under 5 minutes in a continuous process. The adoption of the proposed ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Thin-film PV
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Thin-film PV” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Cadmium telluride PV
- Researchers outline path forward for tandem solar cellson April 26, 2024 at 7:22 am
As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one. The same is true when it comes to solar cells working in tandem. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy ...
- Improving solar panel recyclability with laserson April 25, 2024 at 9:06 pm
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a proof of concept for a method to remove polymers from solar panel manufacturing to enable more efficient recycling.
- First Solar, Qcells and others launch AD/CVD petition to DOCon April 24, 2024 at 8:41 am
A group of US-based solar manufacturers have filed an antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) petition to the US Department of Commerce.
- First Solar, ZSW to develop thin-film, CIGS and perovskite technologyon April 22, 2024 at 7:07 am
US cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar manufacturer First Solar has agreed to pursue further thin-film technology development with ZSW.
- Investor stewardship key to fight against PFAS and micropollutants says WHEB AM’s Monteiroon April 22, 2024 at 5:43 am
At WHEB, we have been addressing the risk of micropollution through our stewardship and engagement activities for more than a decade. In recent years we have ...
- Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market: A Burgeoning Arena of Innumerable Opportunitieson April 17, 2024 at 8:50 am
Portable Thin-Film Solar Panel: Thin-film solar panels are less in weight and much smaller than various options making it perfect for portable use cases. The most common place where portable panels ...
- Hail damage and toxicity risks in solar plantson April 17, 2024 at 2:00 am
US news outlets have reported resident concerns about leaked toxins from solar facilities in Texas that were damaged by a hailstorm. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has rejected the ...
- Hail damage and toxicity risks in solar power plantson April 16, 2024 at 3:35 pm
National news outlets reported resident concerns about leaked toxins from solar facilities in Texas that were damaged by a hailstorm. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) dispelled the ...
- US First Solar seeks approval to expand capacity of Vietnam planton April 15, 2024 at 8:46 pm
First Solar, an American manufacturer of solar panels, is seeking Vietnamese authorities' nod to enlarge the capacity of its VND23.9 trillion ($942.5 million) factory in Ho Chi Minh City.
- US First Solar plans to invest $943 mln to increase output of Vietnam planton April 15, 2024 at 8:46 pm
First Solar, an American manufacturer of solar panels, plans to invest VND23.9 trillion ($942.5 million) to increase the capacity of its factory in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Cadmium telluride PV
[google_news title=”” keyword=”cadmium telluride PV” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]