Market Challenges for CZTS-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells

Since 2000, total PV production increased almost by two orders of magnitude, with a compound annual growth rate of over 50%. The most rapid growth in annual cell and module production over the last five years could be observed in Asia, where China and Taiwan together now account for about 60% of world-wide production. Between 2005 and 2009, thin film production capacity and volume increased more than the overall industry, but did not keep up from 2010 to 2013 due to the rapid price decline for solar modules. Prices for photovoltaic electricity generation systems have more than halved over the last five years making the technology affordable to an ever increasing number of customers worldwide. With worldwide over 135 GW cumulative installed photovoltaic electricity generation capacity installed at the end of 2013, photovoltaics still is a small contributor to the electricity supply, but its importance for our future energy mix is finally acknowledged. Consistent with the time needed for any major change in energy infrastructure, another 10 to 15 years of sustained and aggressive growth will be required for photovoltaic solar electricity to become one of the main providers of electricity. To achieve this, a continuous improvement of the current solar cell technologies will be necessary. It leads us to the search for new developments with respect to more efficient material use and consumption, device design and production technologies as well as new concepts to increase overall efficiency. This paper shortly describes the challenges for kesterite solar cells to enter the market in light of the other compound thin film technologies already in production.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc