Photovoltaic industry progress through 1984

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5685828· OSTI ID:5685828

Watts, R L; Smith, S A; Dirks, J A

The growth of the US photovoltaics (PV) industry over the past decade has been impressive. First designed to provide power for satellites using high-cost production techniques, PV is now the economical choice in many remote terrestrial applications. The remarkable growth of PV in terms of quality of cells and modules, production techniques, and system design, was initiated by a cooperative effort of the US Government and the domestic PV manufacturers. European and Japanese firms entered the PV industry later, but are also growing rapidy. The Europeans continue to supply PV systems for village electrification and water pumping to many Third World countries. The Japanese have been developing the amorphous silicon (A-Si) technology by expanding its use in consumer goods. The world PV industry saw dramatic changes in industry ownership and in the emphasis on developing new and improved technology during 1984. The objective of this report is to present information on the developments of the world PV industry and focuses on developments occurring in 1984. Information is presented on a regional basis (US, Europe, Japan, other) to avoid disclosing company-confidential data. All information was gleaned from several sources, including a review of the technical literature and direct contacts with PV manufacturers. Prior to publishing the regional totals, all numbers were compared with those of other sources. The information contained in this report is prepared for use by the Department of Energy for their use in long-term R and D planning. However, this information should also be of interest by PV manufacturers and to those who may be contemplating entering the PV market. PV shipments for 1984, government supports for PV, and various PV market sectors are discussed.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5685828
• Report Number(s): PNL-5483; ON: DE85013029
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140600* -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
DEMAND
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
MANUFACTURERS
MARKET
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
POWER PLANTS
POWER SUPPLIES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT