Industrial Silicon Wafer Solar Cells – Status and Trends

Abstract

AbstractCrystalline silicon solar cells dominate today's global photovoltaic (PV) market. This paper presents the status and trends of the most important industrial silicon wafer solar cells, ranging from standard p-type homojunction cells to heterojunction cells on n-type wafers. Owing to ongoing technological innovations such as improved surface passivation and the use of increasingly thinner wafers, the trend towards higher cell efficiencies and lower $/watt costs is expected to continue during the next 10 years, making silicon wafer based PV modules a moving target for any competing PV technology.