Photovoltaics: From the laboratory to the marketplace

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:6015120

Basso, T S; Surek, T; Thornton, J

Photovoltaics (PV), the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, is experiencing significant improvements in technology performance and lowered costs. Fostering these improvements, the SERI Photovoltaic Advanced Research and Development (PV AR D) Project supports research and provides services to the US PV industry. This paper presents the recent advances and future direction of the PV project. Research areas are Fundamental and Supporting Research, Advanced Thin-Film Materials, High-Efficiency Materials, Module Development, and Systems Development. Materials of interest include amorphous silicon, copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride, crystalline silicon, gallium arsenide and related alloys, transparent conductors, antireflection coatings, substrates, and encapsulants. The PV project inherently provides technology transfer that helps industry shorten the time to bring R D advances to the marketplace. SERI annually performs over 10,000 measurements for the entire PV community, participates in collaborative research, and welcomes visiting scientists. Two specific areas of recently increased national focus are: (1) manufacturing processes for cost-effective PV modules, and (2) systems development for high-value utility applications. The SERI research approach is based on facilitating direct contact between industry, electric utilities, and others interested in PV technology. This approach heavily relies on SERI/industry partnerships. The arrangements vary to address generic and company-specific problems to improve the US industry's competitive position and accelerate greater electric utility deployment of PV systems. 5 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 6015120
• Report Number(s): SERI/TP-211-3971; CONF-910318--16; ON: DE91002151
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
299000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation
ALLOYS
AMORPHOUS STATE
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM TELLURIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
CONVERSION
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SELENIDES
COST
CRYSTALS
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM SELENIDES
INDUSTRY
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
PNICTIDES
POLYCRYSTALS
POWER PLANTS
POWER SUPPLIES
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR INDUSTRY
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS