Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules

Kelsey Horowitz; Michael Woodhouse

doi:10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960

Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules

Kelsey Horowitz
, Michael Woodhouse

Strategic Energy Analysis Center

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

15 Scopus Citations

Abstract

A bottom-up cost analysis of monolithic, glass-glass Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) modules is presented, illuminating current cost drivers for this technology and possible pathways to reduced cost. At 14% module efficiency, for the case of U.S. manufacturing, a manufacturing cost of $0.56/WDC and a minimum sustainable price of $0.72/WDC were calculated. Potential for reduction in manufacturing costs to below $0.40/WDC in the long-term may be possible if module efficiency can be increased without significant increase in $/m2 costs. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Phoenix, AZ under different conditions is assessed and compared to standard c-Si.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960 https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960
State	Published - 14 Dec 2015
Event	42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015 - New Orleans, United States Duration: 14 Jun 2015 → 19 Jun 2015

Conference

Conference	42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015
Country/Territory	United States
City	New Orleans
Period	14/06/15 → 19/06/15

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 IEEE.

NLR Publication Number

NREL/CP-6A20-64360

Keywords

CIGS
co-evaporation
cost analysis
LCOE
photovoltaic
roadmap
solar
thin-film

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title = "Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules",

abstract = "A bottom-up cost analysis of monolithic, glass-glass Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) modules is presented, illuminating current cost drivers for this technology and possible pathways to reduced cost. At 14\% module efficiency, for the case of U.S. manufacturing, a manufacturing cost of \$0.56/WDC and a minimum sustainable price of \$0.72/WDC were calculated. Potential for reduction in manufacturing costs to below \$0.40/WDC in the long-term may be possible if module efficiency can be increased without significant increase in \$/m2 costs. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Phoenix, AZ under different conditions is assessed and compared to standard c-Si.",

keywords = "CIGS, co-evaporation, cost analysis, LCOE, photovoltaic, roadmap, solar, thin-film",

author = "Kelsey Horowitz and Michael Woodhouse",

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doi = "10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960",

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T1 - Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules

AU - Horowitz, Kelsey

AU - Woodhouse, Michael

PY - 2015/12/14

Y1 - 2015/12/14

N2 - A bottom-up cost analysis of monolithic, glass-glass Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) modules is presented, illuminating current cost drivers for this technology and possible pathways to reduced cost. At 14% module efficiency, for the case of U.S. manufacturing, a manufacturing cost of $0.56/WDC and a minimum sustainable price of $0.72/WDC were calculated. Potential for reduction in manufacturing costs to below $0.40/WDC in the long-term may be possible if module efficiency can be increased without significant increase in $/m2 costs. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Phoenix, AZ under different conditions is assessed and compared to standard c-Si.

AB - A bottom-up cost analysis of monolithic, glass-glass Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) modules is presented, illuminating current cost drivers for this technology and possible pathways to reduced cost. At 14% module efficiency, for the case of U.S. manufacturing, a manufacturing cost of $0.56/WDC and a minimum sustainable price of $0.72/WDC were calculated. Potential for reduction in manufacturing costs to below $0.40/WDC in the long-term may be possible if module efficiency can be increased without significant increase in $/m2 costs. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Phoenix, AZ under different conditions is assessed and compared to standard c-Si.

KW - CIGS

KW - co-evaporation

KW - cost analysis

KW - LCOE

KW - photovoltaic

KW - roadmap

KW - solar

KW - thin-film

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84961626006

U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960

DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355960

M3 - Paper

AN - SCOPUS:84961626006

T2 - 42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015

Y2 - 14 June 2015 through 19 June 2015

ER -

Cost and Potential of Monolithic CIGS Photovoltaic Modules

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NLR Publication Number

Keywords

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