GIGAWATT-SCALE MANUFACTURING OF DISCRETE FLEXIBLE CIGS SOLAR CELLS AS A NEAR-TERM CATALYST FOR THE TRANSITIION TO A 'SOLAR ECONOMY'

摘要

Meeting the challenges of future worldwide electricity demand will eventually require a shift to the real-time use of today's most abundant source of energy – the Sun. Sustainability will likewise require the foundation of our economy to shift as well. A "solar economy" will only result from a technology approach that allows healthy nearterm and sustainable return on investment (ROI) for the capital markets. This contribution explores a unique approach to producing high-quality CIGS PV solar cells, with a low capital to capacity ratio that will enable high ROI gigawatt scale manufacturing. Through this pathway, the PV technology described herein could become the necessary catalyst towards the transition to a solar economy.