Next-Generation Thin-Film Photovoltaics

Future spacecraft and high-altitude airship (HAA) solar array technologies will require high array specific power (W/kg), which can be met using thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on lightweight and flexible substrates [1]. Thin-film array technology, with thin-film specific array support structure, begin to exceed the specific power of crystalline multi-junction arrays with thin-film device efficiencies as low as 8.5% [2]. Thin-film PV devices have other advantages in that they are more easily integrated into HAAs, and are projected to be much less costly than their crystalline PV counterparts. Furthermore, it is likely that only thin-film array technology will be able to meet device specific power requirements exceeding 1 kW/kg (photovoltaic and integrated substrate/blanket mass only).