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Understanding the cell-to-module efficiency gap in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 photovoltaics scale-up

Nature Energy volume 3, pages 466–475 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) solar cells show record efficiencies comparable to those of crystalline Si-based technologies. Their industrial module production costs are also comparable to those of Si photovoltaics in spite of their much lower production volume. However, the competitiveness of CIGS is compromised by the difference in performance between cell and module scales, known as the cell-to-module efficiency gap, which is significantly higher than in competing industrial photovoltaic technologies. In this Review, we quantify the main cell-to-module efficiency loss mechanisms and discuss the various strategies explored in academia and industry to reduce the efficiency gap: new transparent conductive oxides, hybrid modularization approaches and the use of wide-bandgap solar absorbers in the 1.4–1.5 eV range. To implement these strategies, research gaps relating to various device layers need to be filled.

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Fig. 1: Cell and module efficiencies for the main industrial PV technologies.
Fig. 2: Modularization routes and origin of power losses at the cell and module scales.
Fig. 3: PV interconnections for a hybrid approach.
Fig. 4: Calculated module efficiencies for absorbers with various bandgaps.

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Acknowledgements

A.P.-R. acknowledges financial supports from the Spanish MINECO (Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad) under the WINCOST project (ENE2016-80788-C5-1-R), the European Regional Development Founds (ERDF, FEDER Programa Competitivitat de Catalunya 2007–2013) and the CERCA Programme from the Generalitat de Catalunya.

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  1. Veronica Bermudez

    Present address: Solar Frontier KK, Atsugi Research Center, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa, Japan

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  1. EFESE, EDF R&D, Chatou, France

    Veronica Bermudez

  2. Solar Energy Materials and Systems Group, Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Barcelona, Spain

    Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez

  3. IN2UB, Department of Electronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Alejandro Perez-Rodriguez

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Bermudez, V., Perez-Rodriguez, A. Understanding the cell-to-module efficiency gap in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 photovoltaics scale-up. Nat Energy 3, 466–475 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0177-1

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