HZB reports that the successful first step was using laser crystallization to deposit a 10-μm layer of silicon on glass. “Thin-film PV modules based on crystalline silicon can achieve high efficiency with low material costs,” explains Professor Bernd Rech. “They combine the advantages of traditional wafer-based crystalline silicon PV with thin-film Si technology.”
Masdar PV intends to apply the new technology in its existing production facilities and use it for modules measuring up to 5.7 m 2 . “Investing in R&D for the next generation of technology, using thin-film silicon on glass to make PV modules, could give us a competitive advantage over producers of crystalline PVs who are depending more on economies of scale than on significant technological developments,” says Masdar PV Managing Director Tushita Ranchan. (kö)
