According to astudyfrom The Information Network, thin film solar cells will gainsharewithin the total solar cell market. The linchpin will bethepolysilicon supply. Recent market trends seem to favor thesolarcell industry since the demand from its competitor on thesiliconmarket, the semiconductor industry, currently lagsbehindexpectations.
"Ample supplies of polycrystalline material withsignificanthigher efficiencies will dominate the market and keepthin filmtechnology to less than one-third of the market in 2015,"commentedRobert N. Castellano, President of The InformationNetwork.
Which means that thin film technologies nevertheless willgrowdisproportionately fast. While currently they make up 14.4percentof the volume produced, this share will double to 30.5percent in2015. Copper Indium (Gallium) Diselenide materials willgrow evenfaster, from currently 2.8 percent to 13.2 percent of thetotalmarket. Cadmium Telluride will raise its share from 2.5percentcurrently to 8.1 percent in 2015. The usage of amorphoussiliconwill shrink relatively from 8.8 percent to 7.1 percent.Against thebackground of the fast total market growth, thisrelative decreasehowever still translates into a strong growth inabsolute figures.
For the nanomaterial market, The Information Network seesusageprimarily in the CIGS sector (Copper, Indium, Gallium,Sulphide)."We see minimal use in the a-Si (amorphous silicon) andthe CdTe(Cadmium Telluride) market", added Castellano.Dye-sensitized solarcells (DSSC) will utilize nanomaterials, butwith currentefficiencies of only 3 to 5 percent, they are notcost-competitivein the near term." For 2010 already, the expertexpectsimprovements in cell construction, by eliminating volatileorganiccomponents which will give rise to the entry ofcompetitiveproducts on the market, he said.Related Link: www.wwteq.com