Last week Q-Cells, the world’s biggest manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells, announced the merger of its subsidiary Sontor with Sunfilm AG to become the leading manufacturer of silicon-based thin-film modules in the world. Over the last few years, the German company has invested in several thin-film technologies through separate ventures. Why would the world’s biggest manufacturer of the “traditional” blue-colored, highly efficient crystalline silicon cells invest in lower efficiency thin-film technology?
Some experts claim that the cost reductions achievable through a fully automated thin-film manufacturing process can never be achieved through a crystalline process. The crystalline process needs more feedstock material and energy to produce solar cells. “The solar future will hinge upon the cost of a solar kWh and have less to do with the efficiency of a solar cell” says Edwin Koot, CEO of global platform Solarplaza. “Solar energy will not become cheaper merely by increasing solar cell efficiency, but more by driving down the cost of the cell manufacturing process”.
Q-Cells is not the only major company investing in thin-film technology. The world’s number two, Suntech Power, is also building a thin-film production line. And leading thin-film production equipment manufacturers such as Centrotherm are following Applied Materials by offering both turnkey solutions where they were once focused on crystalline technology.
The CEOs of Q-Cells and Suntech Power, the President of First Solar, the CTOs of Centrotherm and Applied Materials, and other experts will discuss these strategy shifts at The Solar Future conference on 26 May in Munich.
