Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,Ga)Se<sub>2</sub>

Michael Powalla; Stefan Paetel; Dimitrios Hariskos; Roland Wuerz; Friedrich Kessler; Peter Lechner; Wiltraud Wischmann; Theresa Magorian Friedlmeier

doi:10.1016/J.ENG.2017.04.015

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Engineering ›› 2017, Vol. 3 ›› Issue (4) : 445-451. DOI: 10.1016/J.ENG.2017.04.015

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Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,Ga)Se₂

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Abstract

In this article, we discuss the leading thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology based on the Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) compound semiconductor. This contribution includes a general comparison with the conventional Si-wafer-based PV technology and discusses the basics of the CIGS technology as well as advances in world-record-level conversion efficiency, production, applications, stability, and future developments with respect to a flexible product. Once in large-scale mass production, the CIGS technology has the highest potential of all PV technologies for cost-efficient clean energy generation.

Keywords

Thin-film photovoltaics / Solar energy / Flexible / Cu(InGa)Se₂

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Michael Powalla, Stefan Paetel, Dimitrios Hariskos, Roland Wuerz, Friedrich Kessler, Peter Lechner, Wiltraud Wischmann, Theresa Magorian Friedlmeier. Advances in Cost-Efficient Thin-Film Photovoltaics Based on Cu(In,Ga)Se₂. Engineering, 2017, 3(4): 445‒451 https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENG.2017.04.015

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Acknowledgments

The authors expressly acknowledge Philip Jackson for his intense efforts to drive the CIGS efficiency development forward, and for his provision of the statistics and critical discussion of the manuscript. We also gratefully acknowledge our funding by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German State of Baden-Württemberg, and the European Union.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Michael Powalla, Stefan Paetel, Dimitrios Hariskos, Roland Wuerz, Friedrich Kessler, Peter Lechner, Wiltraud Wischmann, and Theresa Magorian Friedlmeier declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial conflicts to disclose.

Funding

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2017 2017 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier LTD on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Higher Education Press Limited Company. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).