Photovoltaic solar energy (PV) is expected to play a key role in the future global sustainable energy system. PV systems consist of many components: photovoltaic modules converting sunlight into DC electricity, inverters changing the electric current from DC to AC, and other accessories to set up a working system (constructions, cabling, monitoring). PV conversion can be done with a wide range of materials, device architectures and technologies. The key components are PV modules that represent basic devices, which are able operate for a long time in outdoor conditions. PV modules can be realized from different materials by different fabrication technologies. The main criteria supporting or limiting a successful placement of particular technologies in the market is the cost of electricity produced by PV systems. The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) method takes into account the investment cost the operating costs, and the total energy produced during the system service life. The influence of price, efficiency and service life of PV modules and other PV system components on LCOE (together with the availability of materials) sets limits for applicable technologies. Improvements in the module efficiency and service life demand a higher technology level that increase the production costs, but decrease the cost of other parts (BOS) of the system. The influence of efficiency, service life and costs on the technology of PV modules with regard to the costs of the entire PV system on LCOE is discussed.The presented analyses show that any PV module technology for future PV power generation should meet the criteria: efficiency higher than 14%, price below 0.4 USD /Wp, service life of more than 15 years. At the same time, it must ensure the availability of materials for annual production in excess of 500 GWp. Technologies that do not meet all the criteria would find only limited application in the market.
Vitezslav Benda graduated at MSc level in Solid State Physics at the Czech Technical University in Prague in 1967. From 1967 to 1973 he worked in the R&D department of CKD Semiconductors. Since 1973, he has been at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, where he was awarded a doctoral degree in Electrotechnology (PhD) in 1976. Since 2001 he has been a Professor in Materials and Technology for Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Department of Electrotechnology of the Czech Technical University in Prague. He specialises in electronic materials and devices, especially in the physics, technology and diagnostics of power semiconductor devices and in photovoltaics.
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