Solar / Photovoltaic
The Photovoltaic industry worldwide has been growing by 30-40% per year for many years and has
moved beyond the "cottage industry" status it had in the 70's and 80's. EMTEC stands
at the front of this growth, creating opportunities and space for Ohio companies to contribute
innovations to the world at large. These opportunities arise through the creation of
partnerships and alliances with companies that can help to produce concrete results down the
path to commercialization.
There are several mature solar energy technologies that each serve a unique purpose. Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy converts
sunlight directly to electricity. Typical systems do this with no moving parts and remain in operation for 30 years or more with
minor maintenance. Solar thermal concentrators use the suns energy to heat a fluid which in turn heats water and generates electricity
with a steam turbine. Utility scale versions of this process are nearing parity on a cost basis with utility power. Below is an
example of a new system recently installed in California.
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Saguaro Solar Thermal Concentrator Plant capable of producing 1 MW of power at peak production.
This system was built in 2006.
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Most growth is in the PV market, so that is EMTEC's focus. As traditional crystalline
technologies improve and as new thin film technologies come on line, cost reduction is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. If
PV costs come down and utility power costs go up on their respective average rates, PV will be directly competitive with conventional
energy with no incentives or rebates within 5-10 years. This assumes no tax incentives, rebates, or subsidies. A 30-35% incentive
will make PV cost competitive in Ohio today. If you account for the value of the Renewable Energy Certificates generated by a
system, PV electricity is already cost competitive today in the southwestern US where electricity is >$.15 per kwh.
Even average photovoltaic (PV) price drops and average utility price rises will cause PV energy to be cheaper than conventional
energy within 10 years. This assumes no tax incentives, rebates, or subsidies.
Surprisingly, Ohio has about 2/3 as much solar energy as Arizona. However, Ohio's manufacturing expertise and ability to supply
parts into the PV supply chain is likely where we will be most successful in the PV industry. The supply chain for the PV industry
has recently suffered setbacks due to the silicon shortage, but is rapidly recovering from that thanks to new investments by the
large silicon suppliers. The supply chain for the PV industry includes manufacturers and system integrators in semiconducting
materials, glass, polymers, thin film coating machines, metal extrusion and stamping, power electronics, roll-to-roll fabrication,
and system design and installation.
Industry News
DuPont Expands Production of Solamet Thick Film Paste
Solar / PV : 06/13/2008
DuPont announced that it will expand production of its Solamet thick film metallization pastes at its Electronic Materials DuPont Dongguan Ltd. (EMDD) facility in China. The company said that it will more than double manufacturing capacity of Solamet pastes as part of its overall strategy to more than triple its sales to the photovoltaic industry.... more
New World Record For Efficiency For Solar Cells; Inexpensive To Manufacture
Solar / PV : 05/19/2008
ScienceDaily (May 17, 2008) - Physicist Bram Hoex and colleagues at Eindhoven University of Technology, together with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, have improved the efficiency of an important type of solar cell from 21.9 to 23.2 percent (a relative improvement of 6 per cent). This new world record is being presented on Wednesday May 14 at a major solar energy conference in San Diego.... more
SunPower Reaches 23.4% Cell Efficiency
Solar / PV : 05/16/2008
SunPower Corporation announced that it has produced a full-scale, five-inch prototype solar cell with an efficiency of 23.4%. This is a world-record for a large area solar cell according to the company.... more
