The Future of Photovoltaics Manufacturing in the United States Summary of Two Symposia (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Panel II: Opportunities and Challenges Facing PV Manufacturing in the United States: Large Companies' Perspective
Panel II: Opportunities and Challenges Facing PV Manufacturing in the United States: Large Companies' Perspective
Pages 59-70
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From page 59... ...
Its factories in the United States at one time led the industry in capacity, and it was now planning to restructure its manufacturing in preparation for the next stage of growth, with an effort to site competitively priced manufacturing closer to key markets. He said that BP Solar was the first to commercialize multicrystalline technology, which grew to about 50 percent of the substrate market.
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From page 60... ...
Japan launched several incentive programs in the 1980s and early 1990s8 that stimulated growth for the industry as a whole and gave birth to the idea of solar-powered homes. As the solar home market was penetrated and market incentives declined, a lot of the Japanese local market opportunity began to diminish, and Japan itself tried to shift to export markets.
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From page 61... ...
Daniels said that BP Solar had "a long history in the silicon part of the value chain." A particular challenge was to "extend the art beyond multicrystalline technology." The company in 2006 discovered a new technique it is now bringing to market -- in effect a new way to grow monocrystalline silicon, leading to the production of high efficiency cells and allowing for lower costs. The company is working with IMEC and others who had already achieved over 17 percent efficiency with traditional technologies and are now looking at over 18-19 percent with some specialized cell processing.
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From page 62... ...
The "SmartGrid/EnergyNet" concept seeks to develop a means to forecast the impact of weather and resultant change in energy output from the renewable energy device. Within the SmartGrid/EnergyNet concept, solar can be thought of as a wireless power supply that can be deployed off grid or on grid, and its value increased beyond being a clean energy source for residential, commercial, and utility markets.
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From page 63... ...
There are many ways to leverage the technology's natural attributes, he concluded. By simultaneously leveraging utility, commercial, and residential markets, the United States can drive scale while creating incentives for broader industry participation.
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From page 64... ...
Costs of architectural glass and flat-panel displays are driven by the process cost per unit area. Reducing that cost requires large-area equipment to increase throughput and reduce unit costs.
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From page 65... ...
The point of this kind of scale is that it brings the equivalent of a 20 percent cost reduction, which is equivalent to reaching grid parity one year earlier, or raising module efficiency by 1 percent. "Making scale drives down the learning curve all by itself." Importance of the Demand Side In discussing what could stimulate growth in U.S.
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From page 66... ...
• Progressive and enforceable renewable energy efficiency standards: "We shouldn't wait until 2019 to all of a sudden catch up." • Refundability of renewable credits: He said that Applied Materials has many potential customers who would be willing to invest in factories if there were a market in the United States. They would not make money at the outset, so that tax credits would be less helpful than renewable credits.
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From page 67... ...
Dr. Freilich summarized DuPont's solar activities as "upstream in the supply chain and value chain as a materials supplier." He displayed the corporate vision "to be the world's most dynamic science company," and said that "one way to keep that vision fresh is by focusing on -- and in some cases, creating -- the global megatrends." These global trends, notably driven by the unprecedented growth in developing countries, he said, lead to increased need for efficiency in food production and new kinds of renewable energy, such as photovoltaics.
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From page 68... ...
, which dominated the high-definition hand-held market and had suddenly solved problems in larger dimensions; and rear projection, which had dominated the largest sizes. Plasma was quickly pushed by LCDs, out of the midsize market, which then pressured the rear projection displays, leaving the market to just two technologies instead of four.
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From page 69... ...
In addition to helping close the "valley of death" between federally funded R&D and major private investment, federal support for universities and government labs is also needed to train the people who make up the industry. Since these people are not just U.S.
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From page 70... ...
Indium is currently more important to displays than to PV, he said, but companies are actively seeking alternatives for thin film. He added that nonrenewable fossil fuels are currently needed for the thin-film polymers, and they are alert to opportunities to develop polymers from other sources.
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