Technologies .281990.E2.80.93present.29 Growth of photovoltaics

market-share of pv technologies since 1990

there significant advances in conventional crystalline silicon (c-si) technology in years leading 2017. falling cost of polysilicon since 2009, followed after period of severe shortage (see below) of silicon feedstock, pressure increased on manufacturers of commercial thin-film pv technologies, including amorphous thin-film silicon (a-si), cadmium telluride (cdte), , copper indium gallium diselenide (cigs), lead bankruptcy of several, once highly touted thin-film companies. sector faced price competition chinese crystalline silicon cell , module manufacturers, , companies patents sold below cost.

in 2013 thin-film technologies accounted 9 percent of worldwide deployment, while 91 percent held crystalline silicon (mono-si , multi-si). 5 percent of overall market, cdte held more half of thin-film market, leaving 2 percent each, cigs , amorphous silicon.

cigs technology


copper indium gallium selenide (cigs) name of semiconductor material on technology based. 1 of largest producers of cigs photovoltaics in 2015 japanese company solar frontier manufacturing capacity in gigawatt-scale. cis line technology included modules conversion efficiencies of on 15%. company profited booming japanese market , attempted expand international business. however, several prominent manufacturers not keep advances in conventional crystalline silicon technology. company solyndra ceased business activity , filed chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011, , nanosolar, cigs manufacturer, closed doors in 2013. although both companies produced cigs solar cells, has been pointed out, failure not due technology rather because of companies themselves, using flawed architecture, such as, example, solyndra s cylindrical substrates.


cdte technology


the u.s.-company first solar, leading manufacturer of cdte, built several of world s largest solar power stations, such desert sunlight solar farm , topaz solar farm, both in californian desert 550 mw capacity each, 102 mwac nyngan solar plant in australia (the largest pv power station in southern hemisphere @ time) commissioned in mid-2015. company reported in 2013 producing cdte-panels steadily increasing efficiency , declining cost per watt. cdte lowest energy payback time of mass-produced pv technologies, , short 8 months in favorable locations. company abound solar, manufacturer of cadmium telluride modules, went bankrupt in 2012.


a-si technology


in 2012, ecd solar, once 1 of world s leading manufacturer of amorphous silicon (a-si) technology, filed bankruptcy in michigan, united states. swiss oc oerlikon divested solar division produced a-si/μc-si tandem cells tokyo electron limited. in 2014, japanese electronics , semiconductor company announced closure of micromorph technology development program. other companies left amorphous silicon thin-film market include dupont, bp, flexcell, inventux, pramac, schuco, sencera, epv solar, novasolar (formerly optisolar) , suntech power stopped manufacturing a-si modules in 2010 focus on crystalline silicon solar panels. in 2013, suntech filed bankruptcy in china.




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