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reportFocus Report 2010: Nanotechnology in Photovoltaic
5.9 Focus Report 2010 - Photovoltaic: Executive Summary
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology may be used in several types of applications: grid-connected and off-grid systems as well as consumer electronics. Grid-connected solutions have been the engine for solar PV growth over the last decade, and it accounts for biggest share of the market. Growing interest for building integrated PV (BIPV) is also recognised and nanotechnology is a key, when producing flexible thin film products for buildings.
While single junction silicon devices still dominate the market, very active R&D activities have been observed in other PVs technologies, in particular CIGS-CIS and CdTe thin films, DSSC, and third generation solar cells. Thin film technologies could take advantage of those new nanotechnology-based concepts that aim at increasing the photon absorption rate, their main weakness. Those various strategies involving nanotechnologies to improve absorption efficiency are among plasmonics, photonic crystals, transparent electrodes and reflection layers.
Dye-sensitized solar cells could also benefit from nanotechnologies developments, such as the realisation of TiO2 nanostructures on which dye molecule are deposited. The aim of these developments consists in photons diffusion improvement in order to increase the rate of light absorption.
Third generation solar cells are the most promising applications field for nanotechnology, as it covers the most innovative concepts, like radial junction cells on nanowires. These PV technologies are at an early-stage development level with several barriers slowing the technology's transition to market. Cost competitiveness, system integration to existing infrastructure and other renewable energy sources, supply chain, market deployment and policy framework with feed-in tariffs are important factors affecting the commercialisation of PV systems. Effects of nanotechnology can be seen on solar photovoltaic's prices and shorter value chain of thin film produced PV. At the application level the functional requirements for solar photovoltaics are efficiency, durability, ease of installation, lightweight and disposable.
The global solar photovoltaic installations increased in 2009 to reach 6 GW. Market share for nanotechnology enabled thin film technology increased sharply, but is still slightly under 20% in 2009 while market was still dominated by crystalline silicon wafer based technology. Most of the European companies already producing or about to produce solar cells and modules utilizing nanotechnology seems to focus on a-Si:H. In addition copper indium selenide (CuInSe2, CIS), copper indium gallium selenide (CuInxGa(x-1)Se2, CIGS) or dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) PV technologies seems to be the focus of several European companies based on internet research by ObservatoryNano-project. From the total number of European companies studied about 60 to 75% were small or medium sized and 90% were focused only on solar photovoltaic. Most of the companies were based in Germany.
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