Economic viability of thin-film tandem solar modules in the United States /639/4077/909/4101/4096 /706/4066/4068 article

Sofia SE, Mailoa JP, Weiss DN, Stanbery BJ, Buonassisi T, Peters IM (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Energy Nature Publishing Group

Book Volume: 3

Pages Range: 387-394

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1038/s41560-018-0126-z

Abstract

Tandem solar cells are more efficient but more expensive per unit area than established single-junction (SJ) solar cells. To understand when specific tandem architectures should be utilized, we evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different II-VI-based thin-film tandem solar cells and compare them to the SJ subcells. Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and energy yield are calculated for four technologies: industrial cadmium telluride and copper indium gallium selenide, and their hypothetical two-terminal (series-connected subcells) and four-terminal (electrically independent subcells) tandems, assuming record SJ quality subcells. Different climatic conditions and scales (residential and utility scale) are considered. We show that, for US residential systems with current balance-of-system costs, the four-terminal tandem has the lowest LCOE because of its superior energy yield, even though it has the highest US$ per watt (US$ W-1) module cost. For utility-scale systems, the lowest LCOE architecture is the cadmium telluride single junction, the lowest US$ W-1 module. The two-terminal tandem requires decreased subcell absorber costs to reach competitiveness over the four-terminal one.

Involved external institutions

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) US United States (USA) (US) First Solar US United States (USA) (US) Siva Power US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Sofia, S.E., Mailoa, J.P., Weiss, D.N., Stanbery, B.J., Buonassisi, T., & Peters, I.M. (2018). Economic viability of thin-film tandem solar modules in the United States /639/4077/909/4101/4096 /706/4066/4068 article. Nature Energy, 3(5), 387-394. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0126-z

MLA:

Sofia, Sarah E., et al. "Economic viability of thin-film tandem solar modules in the United States /639/4077/909/4101/4096 /706/4066/4068 article." Nature Energy 3.5 (2018): 387-394.

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