Experience Scaling Up Manufacturing of Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies
This report examines two important generic photovoltaic technologies at particularly revealing stages of development, i.e., the stages between R&D and stable commercial production and profitable sales. Based on two historical cases, it attempts to shed light on the difference between: (1) costs and schedules validated by actual manufacturing and market experience, and (2) estimated costs and schedules that rely on technology forecasts and engineering estimates. The amorphous Silicon case also identifies some of the costs that are incurred in meeting specific market requirements, while the Cadmium Telluride case identifies many of the operational challenges involved in transferring R&D results to production. The transition between R&D and commercial success takes a great deal of time and money for emerging energy conversion technologies in general. The experience reported here can be instructive to those managing comparable efforts, and to their investors. It can also be instructive to R&D managers responsible for positioning such new technologies for commercial success.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99-GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 899800
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/SR-640-39165; KLCX-4-44450-03; AEK-6-66261-01; TRN: US200709%%199
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Work performed by En-Strat Associates, Darnestown, Maryland, and DES Associates, Warrington, Pennsylvania
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CADMIUM TELLURIDES
ENERGY CONVERSION
MANUFACTURING
MARKET
POSITIONING
PRODUCTION
SALES
SCHEDULES
SILICON
SOLAR TECHNOLOGY
PHOTOVOLTAICS
CADMIUM TELLURIDE
TANDEM AMORPHOUS SILICON
THIN-FILM TECHNOLOGY
BP SOLAR
LARGE-SCALE MANUFACTURING
APOLLO TECHNOLOGY
Energy Analysis