Behind Record-Breaking Solar Cell Efficiencies
What's Behind Record-Breaking Solar Cell Efficiencies, Part 1
In this two-part series on solar cell efficiencies, we examine laboratory and commercial solar cell efficiencies of Crystalline Silicon, CIGs, Amorphous, Cadmium Telluride and Multijunction Concentrator cells.California, USA -- In solar, it's hard to go a month without hearing news about conversion efficiencies. In September, for example, Oerlikon Solar and its partner, Corning, said they broke the world efficiency record for a lab-created tandem-junction amorphous-silicon cell. The cell, which was tested by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, delivered 11.9 percent stabilized efficiency.
Meanwhile, Conergy said its new selective-emitter technology could boost solar-cell efficiency from one of its German factories by "up to 0.5 percentage points." And scientists at Yonsei University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced new technologies that could one day enhance cell efficiencies by up to 65 percent, in the case of Yonsei, and that could double cell efficiencies, in the case of MIT.
"Everyone's working on efficiency," said Paul Wormser, senior director of product engineering and system solutions at Sharp Electronics' solar division. "You would be hard pressed to find a manufacturer that hasn't stated publicly at least once a year something about an efficiency improvement program."
Full articleLabels: CIGS, Polysilicon, solar efficiency, Solar Energy, solar panels
First Solar Bearish Run
Cheap polysilicon and abundant sources are inded a threat to First Solar.
Some years ago the issue was the lack of suppliers of polysilicon, now is the crash of the commodity making a dent on the solar industry.
But you can still disagree, and if the economy gets a quick recovery, all commodities, including polysilicon, might get a speculative Bullish Rally.
Just don't try to guess where the bottom is...
First Solar (FSLR) is overvalued and faces a serious problem in the form of cheap polysilicon. Sound familiar? It should, it's been the refrain from analysts since May. Today's shot at First Solar comes from Gordon Johnson of Hapoalim Securities, on Tech Ticker.
Johnson says First Solar is a sell, with a target of $90. His argument trods well worn ground, but in case you missed it, here it is.
First Solar makes its panels out of cadmium telluride. Most of its competitors make panels out of polysilicon. Last summer, thanks to generous subsidies around the world, especially in Spain, the price of polysilicon shot up to $450 per kg. At such a high price, First Solar had an advantage on the competition.
However, the price has crashed to $60 per kg, and might fall even further, thus wiping out First Solar's advantage. First Solar had told investors not to worry, that it could compete with lowered polysilicon prices. During it's Q2 conference call, it signaled a slight change in its thinking saying it would give rebates to customers to lower the price of the panels. Another worry from Q2, the odd revenue recognition detailed by Barron's, and refuted by e4.
Full articleFirst Solar, Inc. (Public, NASDAQ:FSLR) The chart does show how deep the current Bearish Rally has taken this Solar Stock:
Labels: Bearish, First Solar Inc, FSLR, Polysilicon, Solar Stocks
Solar: Silicon vs CIGS
Silicon Solar Panel technology is the most dominant material being use these days, but new startups such as Miasolé and Nanosolar showed that a new kind of material, that although being less efficient, is several times cheaper and easier to use in flexible multiple forms. One of these thin film materials is CIGS(Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide)
Two years ago we had a shortage of polysilicon, but with today's supply and current demand, there should be no problem for companies like SunTech Power (STP) to comply with the polysilicon demand.
Thin films (ex. CIGS) are cheaper, so cheap that we could compare it to the cost of printing ink on paper.
Thin-film production from companies such as Evergreen Solar, and Energy Conversion Devices and First Solar were groing strong in the last two years, but now faces the competition from Silicon panels, that are more efficient.
The booming solar industry is in the midst of an argument over which material will become dominant in the future for harvesting sunlight and turning it into electricity.
There is a good and detailed article about this issue over at CNET. You can read it here:
Silicon vs. CIGSIt's an old article but still usefull, even if we no longer face a polysilicon shortage at the moment.
Labels: CIGS, Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide, ESLR, FSLR, Polysilicon, Polysilicon shortage, solar panels, Solar power, Solar Technology, STP
Polysilicon shortage, again...
The well known polysilicon shortage continues, know probably continuing into the next decade until the industry can bring sufficient material volumes into the supply chain.
Until then, new tecnologies like
CIGS will continue to spread, and more companies are expecting to only use thin-film materials in their next solar cell products.
"The tight polysilicon market could last two years longer than previously expected," possibly continuing to 2010 or 2011
you can read the full article in the
Electronic Engineering Times Asia,
here:
Polysilicon shortage could persistLabels: CIGS, Polysilicon, Polysilicon shortage
