1 € per watt-peak advanced crystalline silicon modules: the crystalclear integrated project

Abstract

CrystalClear is an Integrated Project carried out in the 6 th Framework Program of the European Union. The main project aim is to reduce the direct manufacturing costs of crystalline silicon PV modules to 1 €/Wp, when produced in next-generation plants. CrystalClear deals with the entire crystalline silicon value chain from silicon feedstock up to module manufacturing. In the course of the project, which started in 2004, several ‘overall’ technologies have been defined and developed. These technologies represent different combinations of wafer options, cell and module designs as well as processing approaches. They have been analysed in terms of their manufacturing costs, assuming large-scale production. It is found that crystalline silicon PV technology has the potential to reach direct module manufacturing costs of around 1 €/Wp on a relatively short term (i.e. within ≈5 years). This implies that wafer-based crystalline silicon photovoltaics is compatible with the requirements to achieve grid parity, see the Strategic Research Agenda of the PV Technology Platform, www.eupvplatform.org. Critical conditions to reach this cost level are: efficient silicon utilization (g/Wp module power), high total area module efficiency and high-throughput, high-yield production