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| The choice among various thin-films |
| The three latest thin-film PV technologies are: amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). Although manufacturing equipment could be very similar for producing all three, STF has decided to offer only a-Si and CIGS production facilities and equipment. |
| Comparison for the two types of manufacturing facilities offered by STF |
|
Technology |
5 MW a-Si |
5 MW CIGS |
| Annual Capacity (# of plates) |
120,000 |
85,000 |
| Module Output |
40 W |
60 W |
| Efficiency |
6% |
8% |
| Facility Requirements |
2,000 m2 manufacturing |
2,000 m2 manufacturing |
|
4,000 m2 total |
4,000 m2 total |
| Electrical Demand |
2 MW |
2 MW |
| Manpower |
|
|
| Direct |
60 |
46 |
| Other |
12 |
16 |
| Total |
72 |
62 |
| Direct Cost at Rated Capacity with US Labor Rates |
$1/W |
$0.9/W | |
In making the decision of which manufacturing technology to select, several issues should be kept in mind:
- The Cost of Modules. Clearly the cost competitive aspect of large scale electricity generation dictates moving toward thin-films. Among thin-films, the more efficient CIGS-based thin-film modules will, in near term, be the lowest cost.
- The Timing of Different Technologies. a-Si has more than couple of decades of experience. The CIGS-based modules are expected to be in full volume production in the very near future.
- Positioning for Longest Term Future Competitiveness. In an effort towards an eventual 20% efficient thin-film PV module, tandem devices combining different band gap materials, such as a-Si and different alloys of CIGS is a definite possibility.
- Use of a-Si and CIGS in BIPV Applications. In BIPV applications, thin-films are preferable, both for their aesthetics and economics. Moreover, recently a visually transparent a-Si module was developed by STF, which lends itself to applications such as photovoltaic windows.
- High Temperature and Low Light Level Performance Advantage of a-Si. The efficiency of all PV devices decreases, as the temperature is increased. Of all materials a-Si efficiency decreases the least in hot climates. On the other end, a-Si continues to operate well at the lowest light levels. Thus, a-Si is the most suited PV device for indoor applications (e.g. calculators, etc.) or for outdoor low light conditions such as cloudy weather.
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