news digest ♦ Solar
Most important of all, generating capacity of CIGS battery is approximately 20%-30% higher than that of silicon solar battery in actual operation. For this reason, the LCOE of CIGS battery could be lower than that of silicon solar battery. With the advance of CIGS thin film solar technology at a tremendous pace, conversion efficiency could be further improved rapidly. Especially after the GW-grade mass production, the cost advantages of CIGS technology could be given full play to with lower LCOE.
In fact, quite a few experts believe that CIGS technology will be the important solar technology which could most boost the feed-in tariff of the solar power generation
Proven CIGS Technology Route Promotes Industrialisation Development
Currently, CIGS technology routes fall into three categories, namely physical method, chemical method and printing method. There are mainly two methods which could be put into commercial mass production, namely sputtering method and co-evaporation method which pertain to physical method. Having the whole world in view, CIGS industrialization has entered into mature period.
MiaSolé and Global Solar of US, Solibro and BOSCH of Germany as well as Solar Frontier of Japan are paradigm enterprises which are enable to successfully apply CIGS technology in large-scale industrialisation.
China’s CIGS industrialisation is entitled to extraordinary huge development potential, while the blue-ocean market of distributed generation energetically pushed forward by China will present unprecedented opportunities for thin film PV products.
Concerning China’s market, currently most solar power plants are large-scale ground-mounted power plants and small-sized distributed power plants only account for 20 percent, while distributed generation accounts for over 80% in world’s many developed countries such as Japan, US and Europe.
As large-scale ground-mounted power plants require land of vast area, such power plants will have comparative advantages in western China with scarce population. While in eastern or central developed regions, distributed generation will inevitably become the future mainstream development direction. As such, in the foreseeable future, distributed generation will occupy a larger and larger proportion in China.
With regard to practical application, thin film solar battery is more suitable to fit onto rooftop and distributed PV constructions such as BIPV. As distributed generation mainly depends on rooftop power plants, thin film battery
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especially flexible light battery has higher generating capacity in cloudy and hot days as compared to silicon solar cell. Also being light, thin film battery could cling to buildings. In addition, small-sized distributed power plants are mainly built upon rooftops which could substantially reduce land costs.
Localisation of leading CIGS thin-film technology
Different from other solar technologies, CIGS thin-film technology requires three major elements: equipment, technology and staff, not a single one of which can be omitted.
Localisation of equipment is not simply copying production technology, whilst the key for the success lies in how to realise localisation of materials for manufacturing batteries and localization of technology.
During the process, China needs to give more attention and support to innovative enterprises in respect of core technology R&D. The substantial support offered to industry leaders and leading enterprises with independent innovative and R&D capabilities is a significant guarantee for improving China’s core competitiveness.
Emcore awarded for III-V multi-junction solar cells
The AURP has honoured Emcore for its III-v solar cell technology development
Emcore Corporation, a provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fibre optics and solar power markets, has received the Association of University Research Parks’ (AURP) Innovation Award.
The firm was honoured for its pioneering work in the development and commercialisation of high-efficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells for space and terrestrial solar power applications.
The award was presented to Emcore’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Q. Hou on September 26th, 2013 at the AURP’s International Conference Awards Luncheon. Annually, the AURP presents Awards of Excellence in several categories including the Innovation Award presented to Emcore and the Outstanding Research/Science Park Award presented to Sandia Science & Technology Park in 2008.
Emcore started its efforts to design and manufacture radiation-hardened, high-efficiency multi-junction solar
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