Solar Energy towards Grid-Parity

During 2009 the solar market will move from supply limited to demand limited, shrinking from 5.47 GW ($36 billion) installations in 2008 to 5.29 GW ($29 billion) in 2009. Consequently large over production of cells and modules is expected mainly due to funding difficulties and the reduction of governmental subsidies. Silicon availability which seemed as the limiting growth factor has become irrelevant as module players seek to cut inventory. And finally, modules ’ prices have gone down to a level that enforces the manufacturers to develop cheaper manufacturing processes at higher yields. While this shakeout disturbs the solar community overall, and a number of companies and even some technologies will fail, these events may be used to make the critical step forward in solar to energy conversion technologies. We refer to the significant cost reductions that feed the hopes that by 2011 solar energy prices will come down into “grid-parity ” range, marking a new era for the solar industry and the world. How can solar energy reach “grid-parity”? We will present the leading solar technologies including crystalline silicon PV, high concentrating photovoltaics (HCPV), thin-film silicon (TF-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium (gallium) diselenide/disulfide (CIGS/CIS), dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), organic PV (OPV) and concentrated solar thermal power (CSP). Concepts, status, challenges and new approaches will be discussed