What you need to know to formulate a winning CPV strategy…Based on interviews with 50+ major CPV players, primary research and independent analysis, this report is your strategic resource to overcoming the commercialisation challenges of CPV.

Find answers to your most pressing CPV issues …Report benefits:

n Find out what the current cost of CPV is and what this means for your business

n Get an independent assessment of where the CPV industry stands right now and where it’s heading in the near future

n Understand which CPV manufacturers are ahead of the pack in terms of installed capacity and technology

n Identify the hottest growth opportunities and plan your strategy accordingly

n Learn which companies have invested in CPV and how much they have committed to the industry

n Discover the growth prospects of this industry and what this means for both module manufacturers and component providers

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

Published: May 2010

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Extent: 85 Pages

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3In this report you’ll find the latest data, analysis and insights on the CPV industry, including…n The latest LCOE cost estimates for CPV technology

n Realistic cost breakdown per CPV plant component

n Detailed forecast of installed CPV capacity in the US market until 2015

n Thorough analysis on the barriers and drivers to the CPV industry based on 50+ interviews with all main CPV players

n A-Z of the CPV value chain, including main players and their role in the value chain

n Profiles of all main CPV solar panel and module manufacturers and cell providers

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The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

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Some of the Report’s Key Findings…

This report, written by independent expert Andy Extance in conjunction with CPV Today, gives you the latest data on costs, installed capacity and future projects that will enable you to plan your strategy to make the most of this rapidly changing industry.

Figure 27: HCPV component cost breakdown

Other (7.5%)

Inverter (7%)

Assembly (20%)

Balance of System (16%)Tracking (21%)

Optics (11%)

Cells (17.5%)

Table 14: HCPV LCOE costs

Segment LCOE 2010 ($) LCOE 2015 ($)

HCPV overall 0.27 0.14

HCPV high tier 0.50 0.25

HCPV mid tier 0.22 0.13

HCPV low tier 0.14 0.08

Get the latest data and analysis that will enable you to make your CPV ventures a success

Leading companies such as ArimaEco, Concentrix and Solfocus provided exclusive insights for this report. Find out what they more than other 50 CPV manufacturers, component providers and financiers have to say about the industry.

These and other industry developments suggest that 2010 could be the year of CPV. Find out how to make the most of this changing industry with the Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010.

n Levelized Energy Costs (LCOE) could fall as low as $0.08/kWh by 2015 from $0.26/kWh in 2010

n CPV gets a boost from the Far East, with a 59 MW project in Taiwan amongst other projects

n Highest cost CPV manufacturers are 115% more expensive than the lower cost manufacturers

n HCPV installed costs are set to fall 49% by 2015, from $4.84/Watt to 2.47/Watt in 2015

n LCPV installed costs reductions will reach 65%, from $5.05/Watt in 2010 to $1.75/Watt in 2015

n Tracking is the highest single expenditure in HCPV, at 21% of total installed costs

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

1. Concentrated Photovoltaic Technology 1.1 Principles of CPV 1.2 High Concentration, Medium Concentration

and Low Concentration 1.2.1 Solar Cells 1.2.2 Receiver 1.2.3 Optical Elements 1.2.4 Tracking 1.2.5 Inverter 1.3 Geographical Suitability of CPV 1.3.1 Solar Resources 1.3.2 Other Geographical Factors 1.4 Power Range of CPV Installations

2. The CPV Industry 2.1. The CPV Industry in a Nutshell 2.1.1. CPV Drivers 2.1.1.1 The Need for Sustainable, Secure Energy 2.1.1.1 Investor Profit Motive 2.1.1.2 Power Company/Electricity User Demands 2.1.2.2 Geographical Situation of Installation

Country/Region 2.1.3 CPV Barriers 2.1.3.1 Solar and Electricity Market Composition 2.1.3.2 Power Company/Financier Risk Aversion 2.1.3.3 Legislative Landscape and Industrial Standards 2.1.3 CPV Industry SWOT Analysis 2.1.4 CPV Companies, Component Providers &

Installed Capacity 2.2.1 CPV Value Chain 2.2.2 CPV Production Capacity

3. The Cost of CPV 3.1. CPV Cost Measures 3.1.1 Installed Cost 3.1.2 Levelized Cost of Energy 3.2 Installed Cost and Component Cost of CPV 3.2.1 HCPV Cost Breakdown per Component 3.2.2 LCPV Cost Breakdown per Component 3.3 CPV Levelized Cost of Electricity 3.3.1 HCPV 3.3.2 LCPV

4. Installed Capacity Forecast 4.1 Forecast Parameters and Methodology 4.2 Key Factors in US CPV Market Growth 4.2.1 CPV’s Place in the Solar Market 4.2.2 US Government Policies 4.2.3 Anticipated Demand for Renewable Energy 4.2.4 Enhanced Cell and Module Efficiency 4.2.5 Declining LCOE 4.2.6 CPV Technology Deployment Multiple 4.3 Overall CPV Installation Forecast Through 2015 4.3.1 Optimistic Scenario 4.3.2 Moderate Scenario 4.3.3 Pessimistic Scenario 4.4 Regional CPV installation forecast through to 2015 4.5 Cell Market Through 2015

5. Profiles of CPV Technologies in the Market

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

36

The CPV industry

fewer cells to generate an equivalent level of power. Silicon cell manufacturers have a considerable financial interest in supplying as many cells as possible, and effectively concentration works against them. By contrast GaAs-based triple-junction cell makers only ship comparatively small volumes for satellites, and therefore would like CPV to succeed to raise these volumes. The level of commitment of triple-junction cell makers to CPV may be part of the reason why early entrants to the sector, like Solar Systems and Amonix, moved to them from using silicon. However, with silicon cells remaining in oversupply, manufacturers are maintaining cordial relationships with CPV companies using their products. In some cases there are signs that partnerships between CPV system makers and well-known silicon cell makers are emerging that will likely enhance concentrating technology’s credibility. This phenomenon is currently revolving around LCPV technology, with firms like Solaria adding single-digit concentration factor optics to standard flat-plate cells. In this way they gain advantages both from concentration, and the familiar cell brands and formats.

The number of triple-junction cell manufacturers has particularly expanded in recent years. Both start-up companies, like Cyrium, Quantasol and Solar Junction, and established semiconductor manufacturers, like RFMD and JDSU, have entered the sector. This should be good news for buyers of triple-junction cells, not least because greater competition should lower costs and speed efficiency increases. The extra suppliers, especially the larger companies, should also help to ease concerns about cell manufacturing capacity. They are also well enough established to provide trustworthy long term warranties, which should aid bankability. Meanwhile the start-ups in particular are introducing innovative technologies, exploiting nanotechnological approaches to raise cell efficiency.

Currently, optics makers appear to have more than adequate capacity to meet demand, however they can help players higher up the value chain by improving the optical efficiency and acceptance angles of their products. Figure 24: Breakdown of the types of concentrating optics used in CPV by company

Optics Manufacturers Location Optics Type

Concentrator Optics Cölbe, Germany Fresnel, Secondary optics

Microsharp Solar Watchfield. UK Fresnel

LPI California, US Fresnel

Isuzu Glass Osaka, Japan Fresnel , Rod lens secondary element

Fresnel Optics Apolda, Germany Fresnel

3M Minnesota, US Fresnel, Secondary optics and reflective films

10x Technology Illinois, US Fresnel

Fresnel Solar Energy Nanjing, China Fresnel

Curved lens (3)

Fresnel lens (26)

Mirrors (13)

Plastic optical front cover (1)

Prism lens (3)

Silicone-glass planoconvex primary, glass ball secondary (1)

Fresnel lens and mirrors (1)

Total internal reflection, flat (1) Waveguide (2)

Holigraphic films (1)

MEMS-style microconcentrator (1)

Lens (1)

Table 7: Optics producers

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The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

14

CPV

Figure 6: Record solar cell efficiencies2. Credit: NREL.

48

44

40

36

32

28

24

20

16

12

8

4

0

Effici

ency

(%)

1975 1985 1995 20051990 2000 20101980

41.6%

33.8%

28.8%27.6%

25.0%

20.4%20.0%

16.7%

12.5%11.1%

6.8%

Multijunction concentratorsThree junction (2 terminal, monolithic)Two junction (2 terminal, monolithic)

Single junction GaAsSingle crystalConcentratorThin film

Crystalline Si CellsSingle crystalMulticrystallineThick Si film

Thin film TechnologiesCu (In,Ga)Se2CdTeAmorphous Si.H (stabilised)Nano-, micro, poly-SiMultijunction polycrystalline

Emerging PVDye-sensitised cellsOrganic cells (various technologies)

RCARCA

RCARCA RCA RCA

RCA

Matsushita

Monosolar

Boeing

Boeing

Boeing

Boeing Euro-CISNREL

NREL NREL

Japan Energy

SunPower (96x conc.)

NREL/ Spectrolab

Boeing Spectrolab

Amonix (92x conc)

Fraunhofer ISE (232x conc)

NREL (inverted,

metamorphic)NREL

(inverted, metamorphic

1-sun)

NREL (inverted,

metamorphic 325.7x conc.)

Spectrolab (metamorphic.

299x conc.)

Fraunhofer ISE (metamorphic.

454x conc.)Boeing-Spectrolab

(metamorphic. 236x conc.)

Boeing-Spectrolab (latice matched,

364x conc.)

Spectrolab

NREL

NRELNREL

NREL NRELNREL NREL

FhG-ISEUNSW

UNSWUNSWUNSWUNSWUNSW

UNSW

Kopin

UNSW

FhG-ISE

NRELNRELSharp (large-

area)

NREL (CdTe/CIS)

United Solar (aSi/ncSi/ncSi)

NREL Cu(In,Ga)Se (14x conc.)

Kodak

KodakBoeingARCO

ARCOVarian

Spire

Sharp

Spire

Georgia TechGeorgia Tech

Stanford

Stanford (140x conc.)

Varian (216x conc.)

AMETEK Photon Energy

University So. Florida

University of Maine

No. Carolina State Uni.

Westinghouse

Solarex

Solarex

United Solar

EPFL

EPFL

University LinzUniversity Linz

NREL/KonarkaUniversity Linz

Groningen Siemens Plextronics

Konarka

SharpUnited Solar

United Solar

AstroPower (small area)

Kaneka (2 µm on glass)

Univ. Stuttgart (45 µm thin-film transfer)

SolamerInc

increases the mobility of electrons, causing the flow of current to increase slightly, this increase is minor compared to the decrease in voltage. GaAs is less badly affected by this phenomenon than silicon, meaning that it needs less cooling and can produce more reliable cells than its more common rival.

Temperature sensitivity is one part of the reason why the levels of concentration used in CPV are limited. Assuming an optimal chip efficiency of 40%, 2000 suns would still require 120 W/cm2 of heat to be dissipated from the chip3. By comparison, NASA’s space shuttles experience 10 W/cm2 during re-entry, and the throat of their rocket nozzles reaches 100 W/cm2. If the heat absorbed by a cell is not

completely dissipated, its temperature rises and its power output falls. Power lost through series resistance also increases in proportion to the square of the photocurrent, and becomes especially important at high concentration levels. A third challenge of high concentration systems comes because high currents and temperatures will worsen any slight imperfections in the solar cell. This can ultimately lead to their failure.

1.2.2 ReceiverSolar cells have to be mounted on a receiver to extract the current generated and to dissipate and remove heat. Current extraction is achieved using thick wires or ribbons that are soldered to the cells,

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

13

CPV

highest performance systems. These levels of performance can only be achieved if the cell contains the highest quality semiconductor materials. This requirement adds to the comparatively higher price of GaAs itself in raising the cost of the highest performance cells.

One of the main features to be taken into account when dealing with CPV cells is their thermal behaviour. At high temperatures, the performance of both silicon and GaAs cells falls as the semiconductor’s conductivity increases. The higher conductivity balances out the distribution of electrons and holes, reducing the magnitude of the electric field at the junction. This in turn inhibits charge separation, which lowers the voltage across the cell. While the higher temperature

The band gap of GaAs is nearly narrow enough to absorb the whole spectrum of sunlight irradiating the Earth. As they can absorb a high proportion of the light hitting them GaAs cells can be just a few microns thick, compared to more than 100 microns for silicon cells.

However, today’s record efficiency devices only use this as a springboard. As well as a GaAs-based middle junction, the germanium wafers that they’re fabricated on are normally used to produce another junction. Then a third junction is produced from gallium indium phosphide (GaInP), with each junction optimised to absorb light from their respective areas of the spectrum. Such designs have delivered efficiencies above 40% and are found in the highest concentration,

Figure 4: A single-junction silicon cell Figure 5: Two approaches for multi-junction solar cells4. In the mechanically stacked approach on the left single-junction cells of different semiconductor materials are manufactured and stacked on top of each other. This leads to multiple terminals which have to be connected properly in the module. In the monolithic approach on the right, semiconductor materials with different band-gap energies are grown epitaxially on top of each other. The internal series connection of the subcells is achieved by tunnel diodes. Note that neither approach is limited to just three junctions, as shown here, and that the two can be combined.

1st cell

2nd cell

3rd cell

1st cell

2nd cell

3rd cell

Dec

reas

ing

band

gap

Mechanically stackedmulti-terminal

Monolithically integratedtwo-terminal

n-doped Si

p-doped Si

Front contact

Back contact

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

10

CPV

1.1 Principles of CPVAnyone who played with a magnifying glass in the sunshine as a child will have an elementary understanding of solar concentration. In this simple experiment, the lens bends the sunlight that is initially falling across its surface, focussing its energy down to an area as small as a single point. Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems use similar optical principles to focus direct sunlight onto semiconductor cells that transform solar energy into electricity. Concentrating the light collects the same amount of solar energy as today’s dominant flat-plate PV panels, using a smaller overall solar cell area. Such a system offers competitive power generation, matching or even exceeding rival technologies’ output but replacing costly semiconductor solar cells

with cheaper optics. It also provides the opportunity to use the world’s most efficient cells, which have been specifically designed to work with concentrating optics in order to achieve their records.

Current CPV technologies are based on mirrors and/or lenses able to concentrate sunlight to take advantage of these benefits in power generation. In quantitative terms, producing one watt at a concentration ratio of 1000 suns and 25% cell efficiency requires 1775 times less semiconductor surface than producing the same watt without concentration with an ordinary cell at efficiency of 14%1. While doing this makes CPV collectors significantly more complex than standard PV modules, using substantially smaller cell areas holds the promise of lower costs.

1. Concentrated Photovoltaic Technology

Figure 2: CPV collectors: dish (left), pedestal (middle) and trough (right) configurations. Source: IEC 62108, 2007

Modules

Trackermechanism

Chapter summary: The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

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3rd Concentrated Photovoltaics Summit EuropeNovember 18-19, Seville, Spain

Proving CPV´s commercial viability:

n Building the track record

n Cutting costsn Securing finance

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About the authorAndy Extance is a freelance science journalist and market analyst. Until June 2009 he was news editor for Compound Semiconductor magazine, where he regularly covered the CPV industry. He also has several years experience working in the chemical industry, including producing packaging materials for photovoltaic and other semiconductor applications. He has an MChem in chemistry from the University of

Southampton, UK, and is a Chartered Chemist and Chartered Scientist.

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010

Published: May 2010

Format: Secure PDF

Extent: 85 Pages

Price: $1295

Early Bird Price: €1145 Expires 4th of June

ABB■■

Arima EcoEnergy ■■

TechnologiesAsahi Kasei Corporation■■

Bechtel Enterprises■■

Electric Power Research ■■

InstituteFresnel Optics■■

Gyeonggi Technopark■■

Hyundai Engineering■■

Institute of Microelectronics ■■

TechnologyISOWATT Made SL■■

JDSU■■

KIMM (Korea Institute of ■■

Machinery & Materials) Kuraray Co.■■

Korea Institute of Energy ■■

Research (KIER)Optoelectronics Research ■■

CentrePetrobras■■

Quanta Sol■■

RFMD■■

Robert Bosch GmbH■■

Samsung Electronics■■

Soitec■■

StatoilHydro■■

Stirling Energy Systems■■

Sumitomo■■

Umicore■■

Veeco■■

And Many More….■■

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