(133b) CdTe Photovoltaics: High Efficiency and Low Cost at Multi-GW Scale

Over the past two decades, photovoltaics (PV) have successfully transitioned from an expensive, niche product into a low cost, high volume renewable energy source that is cost competitive with fossil fuel energy sources. At present, the PV market is dominated by crystalline Silicon-based modules. First Solar, the largest PV company in the United States, uses a unique, thin film, CdTe-based PV technology that is inherently low cost and requires much less energy and water to produce. While the power density of thin-film PV has traditionally lagged crystalline Si, recent technical breakthroughs in thin-film PV have closed the power density gap. First Solar recently developed a new Series 6 module optimized for utility-scale PV. Series 6 modules will have an initial power up to 440 Watts and a unique design that reduces total installed cost. First Solar is ramping up manufacturing of Series 6 in existing factories and has broken ground on new factories in the US and Vietnam.