CIGS and CdTe based thin film PV modules, an industrial r/evolution

CIGS and CdTe industrial activities started at the beginning of this century after 20 years of comparatively low R&D intensity when contrasted to other PV materials. Fundamental R&D has shown good progress in recent years, concentrated more on CIGS and less on CdTe. Champion efficiencies around and slightly beyond 20% have been shown for CIGS by several groups; thus CIGS has reached efficiency levels equal to multicrystalline Silicon. After years of stagnation, CdTe could recently also show new champion efficiencies well beyond 17%; still about 3% less than CIGS. High volume manufacturing has started within the last decade in a fast growing PV market. Nevertheless both need intensive R&D to develop further innovations and to realize successful transfer into high volume manufacturing to stay competitive. Both materials have the ability to approach production costs well below 0.4 US-$/W in the long term and to become the main material in the PV market.