Sliver solar cells

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Sliver solar cells
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Global Photovoltaic Production
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Projected global PV system sales
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Global electricity production
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PV Progress 18 price reduction per doubling of
cumulative sales
1990
today
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Photovoltaics silicon

• 95 of the world market
• The advantages of crystal silicon
• Silicon abundance
• Silicon non-toxicity
• High and stable efficiency
• Shared infrastructure with the IC industry
• Market dominance
• Pure silicon supply problem

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Sliver solar cells
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Slivers 2 wafers per m2
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Wafer processing proceeds - Diffusions,
oxidations, depositions, metallisation
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(No Transcript)
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Sliver Cell
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High efficiency module
Transparent module
50 coverage in module
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Sliver Module
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2D/3D
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Sliver Solar Cell Cross-Section
Boron diffusion
Phosphorus diffusion
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Energy payback time
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Silicon consumption
X
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Watts per wafer

• Low cost factories
• Reduced risk of investment
• High value product

X
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PV Module cost (US)
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Applications of Sliver technology
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The importance of high efficiency

• Unavoidable area related costs 200/m2
• Module construction glass, EVA, connectors etc
• Module mounting frames, land, installation etc
• For a 10 module 2 per W
• For a 20 module 1 per W

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Long term prospects for Slivers

• In the long term the energy conversion layer is
  nearly free.
• Encapsulation and BOS dominate
• Efficiency is the main determinant
• CSG, a-Si, DSC, organics lt10 efficient
• CdTe, CIGS scarce or toxic materials
• Sliver at 20 has a decisive long term advantage
• Concentrators a competitor in some markets

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Sliver energy cost
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Summary

• No further breakthroughs required
• Breakthroughs might or might not happen to budget
  or timeline
• But good silicon engineering needed
• Slivers match zero-emission coal, wind
• Implications for climate change policy