Solar Thin Film Ready to Ramp Up Production?
Interview: Dr. W.S. Sampath at CSU has developed new “thin film” solar technology
Thin film has been the holy grail of solar technology: everyone is seeking it, but so far its market penetration is well under 5%, and its use in large-area applications, such as for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules large enough to power buildings, has barely developed. (Thin film light absorbers are about 1 micron thick and are less costly to produce, as compared to the silicon found in traditional solar PV modules, which at around 200 microns thick is still thinner than a human hair.)
So I was very interested to hear that Dr. W. S. Sampath, professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University (CSU), has developed a new, more streamlined production process that promises to reduce the cost of thin film even more. The company bringing his product to market is AVA Solar, who received a $3 million solar incubator grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America Initiative. I spoke to Dr. Sampath by telephone on Friday, and asked him how his technology is different from that of First Solar, currently the market leader.
“The difference is in the manufacturing process. It is much more streamlined and integrated, with fewer production steps, which brings down the manufacturing cost.” Dr. Sampath was careful to note that AVA Solar worked in collaboration with First Solar in developing the production process. “There is a huge demand, so it makes sense to work together.” In other words, when the world is beating a path to your door for a better solar mousetrap, it pays to be open and collaborate to achieve faster, better and cheaper solutions, so as to grow the market much faster.
Gary Gerber