Printed and Thin Film Photovoltaics and Batteries

Silicon photocells are seen in many places but the technology is limited. Crystalline silicon will never give tightly rollable devices let alone transparent ones or even low cost power generation on flexible substrates.

 

Fortunately there are many new alternatives. Proprietary nano-particle silicon printing processes are developed by companies such as innovalight and Kovio and it promises many of the photovoltaic features that conventional silicon can never achieve. It can be printed reel to reel on stainless steel or other high temperature substrates.

 

However, most of the work on the next generation of photovoltaics is directed at printing onto low cost flexible polymer film and ultimately on common packaging materials. The main contenders are currently:

Several companies, universities and research institutes are hard at work in different development stages of these technologies with large scale plants being built across the globe.

This comprehensive report gives a thorough analysis of printed and thin film photovoltaics and batteries, with detailed profiles of 57 companies working on the many different types of technologies.

 

The report covers companies, research institutes and universities that are active in developing and commercializing thin film technologies for photovoltaics and batteries. Photovoltaic technologies covered include CIGS, CdTe, DSSC, a-Si and organic photovoltaics. Learn how these technologies (each at a different stage of development and adoption) are driven forward by both government and leading companies in the field.

 

The report also describes materials (both organic and inorganic) and device structures as well as various high-speed printing technologies employed.

 

Forecasts are given by technology type for photovoltaics technologies and batteries for ten years with 20 year outlook.

 

Source: IDTechEx

 

IDTechEx find that the market for thin film photovoltaics beyond thin film silicon technologies will reach at least $3 billion in 2012 after a slow ramp up and grow rapidly after that to $8 billion in 2014. The global

solar energy market is expected to reach $34 billion in 2010 and $100 billion in 2050 and most of that latter figure is expected to be achieved by non-silicon photovoltaics.

 

Along with other manufacturing techniques, printing (or printing-like) technologies are gradually being adopted (Nanosolar, G24 Innovations in the PV sector, Power Paper, Solicore and Thin Battery technology in the batteries sector), as they can be considered to be some of the fastest, least expensive and highest volume manufacturing techniques. With printed electronics becoming more prevalent, there is an increasing need for power to supply them; printing is amenable to a large number of different types of devices with the possibility of integration (e.g. to provide onboard power etc.)

 

This report provides a comprehensive list of key companies that are active in each of the thin film photovoltaic and battery technologies. Compiled and analyzed by Dr Harry Zervos, technology analyst with IDTechEx, company profiles are given along with 20 year forecasts for the growth of the market share of these technologies. Dr Bruce Kahn, consultant and academic, gives a thorough analysis of the science and technology behind thin film photovoltaics and batteries, as well as a comparison of different high-speed printing techniques.

All purchases of this report include the independent IDTechEx report Encyclopedia of Printed Electronics, worth $1500, to explain over 380 terms. In addition, all report purchases include one hour free consulting with a report author from IDTechEx, by email or telephone. This needs to be used within 3 months of purchasing the report.

If you have any questions about this report, please do not hesitate to contact Raoul or call +1 617 577 7890 (US).