SOLAR POWER ANDRÉ RICHTER BUSINESS DEVELOPER TECHNOLOGY, MEYER BURGER TECHNOLOGY LTD PV– Where does it go from here? PV continues to grow and this entails investment in new systems.But which is the right technology from the medium-term perspective? Which technology offers the greatest potential? Or would it be better to adopt a technology whose potential is already largely exhausted? This article endeavors to shed some light on the subject and clarify the situation from a somewhat higher viewpoint. During the last 3 decades, a PV industry has emerged that covers the entire value chain from the production to contracting, installation, operations, repowering and the suppliers. The module prices have been able to benefit significantly from the growing volumes and the many applied innovations, with ca. 21.5% perdoubling of the cumulative installation base.This are called the PV learning curve. The goal of photovoltaics (PV)is to generate the maximum possible amount of electricity from sunlight. Initially standalone in so-called island systems and later as part of a power grid, which is today the most common application. At the same time, PV has to face up to the cost comparison in the energy market. The authoritative measurement quantity is USD/MWh.PV is only available during the day and requires buffer storage such as batteries, power-togas or conversion to heat for power shifting. PV is also one of the first energy forms to demonstrate a full-cost accounting: from the production to operation, distribution and disposal. Optimum co-ordination of these factors helps the energy generated with PV to be supplied ever more cheaply. One can imagine this happening in two ways: 1. Cost reduction PV costs are made up of the module costs and the BOS costs such as the frame system, cabling, inverter, AC connection, land procurement, etc. The table below shows the costs and the dependencies of areas and regional constraints. In order to make modules cheaper, the only remaining options in the “cost reduction scenario” are to use cheaper or fewer materials. The table above shows the dependency on costs such as those for wafers, glass and encapsulant, which are largely energy-driven.EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate), virtually a waste product from the chemical industry, is used as the encapsulant. There is probably little scope for further cost reduction here. Glass is today given anti-reflection coatings ARC; the rate of reduction in the glass price visà vis thickness is less than linear, holes in glass-glass (G/G)constructions are likely to increase expenditure. All indications for greater longevity point to ever-better coordinated materials.There is thus a modest overall potential to reduce the material costs as such or to reduce the quantity of material in the module .In recent years, only the wafer production has again significantly reduced the unit cost per wafer. Decisive innovations, such as the Wire Management II, have helped to reduce these costs and open up further potential in the coming years. Today, cuts with a 70μm diameter core wire and 4 to 6-fold throughput rate per saw compared to slurry are possible. Frame costs: These are very dependent on the location and it is impossible to make an across-the-board reduction .Here the development will continue, albeit more likely through a reduction in the Illustration 1: Learning curve including year and selected innovations. installation costs than on the frame itself. 26 energética INDIA · MAY | JUN16
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