Thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV) will account for the equivalent of 26 gigawatts (GW) of electric power by 2015, generating well over $20 billion in revenues in that same time frame, according to a new report.
This extraordinary growth rate is due in part to the rapid deployment of photovoltaics of all kinds, but also to the low cost, flexibility and manufacturing advantages associated with TFPV, according to industry analyst firm NanoMarkets.
Because of its low cost, low weight and ability to be fabricated onto
flexible substrates TFPV is likely to be highly preferred for
residential applications over conventional photovoltaics (PV), and by 2015 NanoMarkets
expects a $2.3 billion market for the residential TFPV market.
The report also says that by 2015, TFPV will account for more than half of the world’s production of PV, and cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells, with $8.7 billion in revenues, will command the largest segment, the report predicts.
The recent success of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells is likely to continue and by 2015 NanoMarkets expects that this will be the single largest segment of the TFPV market considered by active material with $8.7 billion in revenues.
The report also states that despite higher price points and outstanding manufacturing challenges, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells are still the star of the TFPV world. The technology promises to combine all the advantages of thin film with higher conversion efficiencies approaching those of conventional crystalline PV. NanoMarkets believes that the CIS/CIGS sector will produce almost $5.0 billion in revenues by 2015.
The report addresses all of the segments of the TFPV industry, including Amorphous Silicon, CIS/CIGS, CdTe and GaAs. Applications areas covered include utilities, commercial and industrial buildings, residential buildings, consumer electronics, military and aerospace.
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