Application niche of the membrane solar cell

The mainstream of the sun at present photoelectricity uses the market to lie in the electricity incorporating into the power networks type application of the city, and major technology, the sun of photoelectricity silicon brilliant round type, brilliant and getting round solar cell account for taking rate of market of all solar cell more than 90% silicon have. The looks, relatively to the brilliant round type solar cell of silicon, though the taking rate of market is still on the low side in the membrane solar cell, possess following characteristic:
1.Light quantity (weight)
Light, can lighten the burden of the building to use in the building.
2.Can make scratching type (flexibility)
Easy with other product combine, in level (such as ball roof, curved glass curtain) Have application.
3.Low cost (cost)
It is with low costs to make, more attractive while installing to consumers, have advantages even more in large extensive area installation.
4.Long result (longevity)
It is higher to the temperature tolerance degree, relatively low to the illuminance demand, it is relatively free of environmental factor to accumulate generation higher.

Because of above-mentioned characteristics, the membrane solar cell is more extensive compared with the brilliant round type technology of silicon on the range of application, at city the electricities incorporating into the power networks type it can cut by building materials a size of the sun products BIPV not photoelectrics (such as in for level roof installing, glass curtain,etc.) And does not need to consider the large-scale power plant of the use area; The independent type that is not needing to consider the use area too generates electricity also for the market favorable to the membrane technical development; In addition in on being special to use, membrane technology can combine other product develop more high additional product of value or develop more new uses, expanding the application that the niche market expands the whole sun photoelectricity too popularizes. But the membrane solar cell is lower than the brilliant round type of silicon because of its conversion efficiency, generate electricity area to be relatively heavy while being necessary, is it cut mainstream is it spend small-scale roof installation of electricity generation system of incorporating into the power networks etc. to live at present to want, need to be devoted to the promotion of efficiency.
(1) City electricity incorporating into the power networks type: BIPV, in order to use the market mainly
An organic whole type photoelectric products of the sun of building materials (BIPV) Can use with the incorporating into the power networks type from the net type, but BIPV of the market electricity incorporating into the power networks type is the fastest growing block, including the house is used with commercial BIPV. Membrane solar cell because of light quantity the above, have but flexibility but printing opacity, cost cheap, degree good to accumulate generation high characteristic to environmental tolerance, having created BIPV more new chance and possibility, it is generally acknowledged BIPV of the incorporating into the power networks type will be the largest application niche market of solar cell of membrane. Already a lot of membrane solar cell manufacturers have put out and applied exclusively to the products of BIPV at present, because have potentiality to use in pluralism with having no situation of the standard product yet, this market is not that ' the big one is permanent and big ' (" winner takes all ") at present Taking by situation,as to every membrane solar cell manufacturer it is still pieces of market that have a good chance. Main product at present with products that roof combine, develop while increasing gradually too with window, glass curtain product used to combine, may develop the wall paper of solar energy, coating too in the future with the progress of technology (PV wallpapers and paints) When more advanced goods.
In addition membrane solar cell can make than silicon brilliant round technology high ' but printing opacity (see-through) of perspecting etc. Dr.eye: also Mould group ',last glass, the window (smart window) Have, the view of looking out that and does not die in the building, already a lot of manufacturers can make sex completely at present (transmission) Above 10% goods, for example Sharp declare is it can make 10% sex, efficiency to up to 9% but membrane mould group, a-Si of printing opacity, completely to have the ability already.
(2) City electricity incorporating into the power networks type: The incorporating into the power networks type large-scale facility is another potentiality developing direction
The plan or facilities that incorporating into the power networks type large-scale solar energy generates electricity at present, take brilliant round type technology of silicon as the core, but a lot of membrane solar energy technological manufacturer have is it can is it accord with large-scale demand of facility this kind of to come to producing enough yet too. But large-scale facilities are not like the roof to install in a lot of incorporating into the power networks types, to having relatively small doing in the test amount of the area of installation, as to range of laying the requisition for low cost not getting more ardent more, larger membrane technology with lower manufacturing cost is with development potentiality that on the low side and necessary to efficiency this point installs the area.
The first application membrane mould group installs into a solar energy array of 400kW with 9600 mould groups a-Si in California Davis of U.S.A. when the example on large-scale facilities is in 1992 (array) ,Used the example of the membrane on large-scale facilities of mould group successively after this, for example Juwi group will build the power plant of largest solar energy in the world at present in Saxony district of Germany, the use one is CdTe (Te cadmium) of First Solar Membrane solar energy mould group. This power plant is called " Waldpolenz ", estimate and complete at the end of 2009, can export the electricity of 40MW when the time comes, it is reached that the power plant is wide in area 400,000 , Using 550,000 membrane solar energy mould groups, investment amount is 130 million euro, it is 3250 to change into the cost of electricity-generating of every kW, large-scale scale and use membrane mould group make power plant this cost of electricity-generating relatively flat fare cheap 20-40%, market of German. In order to be built Rote Jahne solar energy power plant for the biggest using the solar energy power plant of the membrane mould group at present in Germany by Juwi group too, the scale is 6MW, investment amount is 21 million euro, also uses membrane solar energy mould group CdTe of First Solar, have already begun to run in March of 2007.
(3) Applied to the network: Not considered and also suitable for the technical development of the membrane by the area of installation
Different from the city electricity connecting in parallel type from the photoelectric system of applied sun of network, does not have with the local electric wire netting (Local Utility's Electricity Network) Link, usually need the battery (Battery) To store the electricity, it is a main fact to apply to the remote area. Not as good as the city electricity connecting in parallel type and apply to more populous knowing areas, to the user applied to the network, accumulate generation, cost to come even more importantly compared with installing the area, conversion efficiency, and can make the most of the advantage to the membrane technology of one degree of better, lower manufacturing costs of environmental tolerance even more here.
In order to the inhabitting type house system of solar energy (Solar Home System, SHS) from the network village It is the example, residents usually lived in remote area have generally not high income, as to user, the installation cost advantage of the membrane with lower technology makes it can tolerate its relatively poor efficiency; Secondly, will is it leave resident that network generate electricity live in than warm, climate, China of low latitudes mostly to use, compared with the relatively apt brilliant round type solar energy mould group of silicon influenced by intensity of illumination of the latitude, the generation of accumulation of the technology of the membrane is relatively high; In addition is it is it dependent on animals or the manpower is it hand over to give a piggyback mostly even to have to transport in remote area, it is for quantity it is light, not relatively, or can rolls of membrane mould that scratch group is the getting getting easier more comparatively too in not transporting. Generate electricity in the pumping station with the solar energy in addition (water pumping) It is the example, can offer the resident clean drinking water from far-off regions, the solar energy array used in this kind of pumping station (array) Mostly under 1kW, the poor efficiency of the technology of the membrane at this moment will not cause too much use area under this scale, and not the preferential focal point considered in the use area from far-off regions, so if a lot of pumping stations are the silicon membrane (a-Si) with lower use cost in India Mould group of solar energy.
(4) Use other specially: The technology of the membrane has potentiality of innovative products
Membrane solar cell / mould group because light quantity, can scratch, characteristic such as being colorful their, superior to the brilliant round type solar cell of silicon / mould group on the potentiality to create new products, point this for open the sun photoelectricity new market important.
The earliest example is to use the silicon membrane (a-Si) The solar cell is on the calculator, consume electronic field is it is it use product, membrane of solar cell appear to combine to have successively later, for example earphone, radio, thermometer, wrist-watch, alarm clock, LED lighting, the reaction light, battery charger,etc..

Besides electronic field of consumption building up, the membrane solar cell is researching and developing more possibility actively too. For example can apply to the abandonning type electronic product (Disposable Electronics) ,If the radio frequency is discerned (RFIDs) , intelligent packaging (Smart Package) , smart card (Smart Cards) It needs the products of very cheap electricity to wait a moment; Either for the function or beautiful dress application (Wearables) ,And can extend and apply to tent, curtain, shutter,etc., the sun photoelectricity can be considered as the sources of the charger, electricity on the dress, if American manufacturer Konarka develops the solar cell of the cloth (Power-Generating Wearable Electronics) cooperatively with Textronics ; In addition on applying to the military affairs and defending the use providing disaster relief, always subsidize relevant manufacturers such as the American military (such as Konarka) Develop and adopt the solar energy products of the military use, and the military can be considered as a unique niche market, the military wins to the demand of the products with the functionality, it is high to acceptance degree of the new products, the requisition for price is too relative to as good as the commercial market strongly.
Source:
Author: The worker grinds institute IEK ITIS and plans analyst Li WenWen