Thin Film and Organic Photovoltaic Market To Reach $2.3 Billion ($US) in 2011

Nanomarkets: The market for thin film and organic photovoltaics (PV) will be worth over $2.3 billion in the year 2011. Information about the report titled, is available on the firm’s website. Members of accredited trade press may request a full executive summary from the report. Why Thin Film PV?

The advances in materials and production modalities are enabling new products including those that integrate PV with building materials and others that provide novel sources of power for cell phones and note book computers. Companies that use amorphous silicon, non-silicon inorganics or organic polymers/small molecules are also benefiting from the shortage of crystalline silicon used in conventional PV and from the availability of government subsidies as well as the ability of PV users to sell excess power to utilities.

Integrated building and construction products such as PV enabled roofing and window materials are projected to be the largest market opportunity measuring $800 million ($US) in 2011 with large project and consumer electronic products the second and third largest market opportunities. On the materials front, amorphous silicon, the best established of the various thin-film PV materials, will represent an $800 million ($US) opportunity followed by organic and hybrid organic/inorganic materials and then CIS/CIGS.

Thin film/organic PV is also generating buzz in the industry and several companies have received large VC rounds. Major multinationals are also supporting this technology as Honda has announced it will soon start full-scale production of thin film PV and Shell has just sold off its conventional PV business to focus on thin film. On the other hand, NanoMarkets points out that thin film and organic PV is also a technology space that has received its fair share of hype and controversy with competing claims by different manufacturers on where and how it can be applied and disputes over conversion efficiencies and costs per watt. NanoMarkets believes that the technology will however, offer a major long-term opportunity to those who can look beyond short-term supply constraints and focus on the unique advantages of thin-film/organic PV that can be exploited. These advantages include weight, flexibility and low-cost production methods.

Thin Film and Organic PV: New Applications for Solar Energy Publ 20060323