Solar Cell Technology

Today two different solar power technology tracks hope to gain entrance to the mainstream electricity generation market. Concentrated solar power technologies focus on large scale solar power electricity generating projects to supplement or replace current fossil fuel electricity plants. Solar cell technologies focus on smaller scale electricity generating roof top projects suitable for homes and businesses.

Silicon has been the principle component of solar cell technology since it became a commercially viable electricity generating product. The semiconductor is the device in the solar cell that transforms energy from the sun to electricity, and the most recent statistics show that about nine out of 10 solar cells use silicon semiconductors.

Throughout the silicon phase of solar cell development, a variety of technologies aimed at reducing the amount of silicon used in the cells have been adopted for commercial use. Two of the more popular technologies are based on using polycrystalline silicon and thin film silicon as the semiconductor. The logic is simple, less silicon cost means decreased solar cell costs. These silicon based solar cells technologies produce the most cost effective roof top panels on the market today. For example, Sharp and Kyocera, two industry leaders, both have promoted polycrystalline technology with about a 15% efficiency rating.

Technological advances in semiconductor research now suggest that other materials which use more of the light spectrum for converting sun light to electricity might be a more cost effective way to produce solar cells. Current efficiency levels for these newer technologies range in the 36%-40% efficiency range. The challenge for these newer technologies is to keep the cost of production down to a level that makes them cost competitive.

Commercial adoption of these newer semiconductor materials became feasible when their costs were further reduced by adapting them to thin film technology. Nanosolar, a solar power company based in Palo Alto, CA, recently announced construction plans for the largest solar cell manufacturing center in the world, where they plan to build their CIGS (copper based semiconductor) thin film, flat solar panels.

The move from CIGS research to production comes in conjunction with an anticipated increase in solar panel demand spurred by the California Solar Initiative (CSI), which is set to fund $2.8 Billion worth of solar roof top systems in the state. Americans will soon begin to see how well a state sponsored solar energy campaign can help the state deal with electricity and more general energy issues.