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NREL PV: Working Wioth Industry A Partnership that Works Keeping the U.S. PV industry strong. Smoothing out the kinks on the path to PV manufacturing success. One person, one company, one laboratory alone is not enough. But pool the resources of hundreds of talented people from two dozen PV companies and a couple of national laboratories—reinforced by the strength of the U.S. Department of Energy—and you'll find a group that's worthy of the task. That group, the participants in the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project, is pro- filed in this issue. PVMaT is a partnership in every sense of the word. The costs, the work, the rewards are all shared. And we all win, because a strong domestic PV industry gives us homegrown technology jobs and a prized commodity to export to the rest of the world. Also in this issue, you'll hear from someone many of you know quite well—Larry Kazmerski, the new Director of the National Center for Photovoltaics. Kazmerski was named NCPV Director on December 1. In the University Corner, you’ll find news of the nearly $5 million in awards for “University R&D for Future Generation Technologies.” Fourteen of the awardees are new to the PV Program. And in the Industry Activity Update section comes word of the many world records achieved lately—a testament to the successful teamwork of industry, university, and NREL researchers. And speaking of world records, there's another one to boast about right here at NREL. The CIS (copper indium diselenide) Team, led by Rommel Noufi, set a new mark for thin-film solar cell efficiency. Working The measurement of 18.8% conversion efficiency for the CIS alloy cell topped the previous record, also set at NREL, by more than one percent. With Features PV… On the Road and Looking Ahead ..........................................................2 PVMaT—Big Gains Since 1992......................................................................3 Industry The Path to PV Manufacturing Success...........................................................4 Work Under Way on the Latest PVMaT Awards.............................................6 Departments PV Web Sites....................................................................................................2 Industry Activity Update ..................................................................................8 Subcontracts .....................................................................................................9 Publications ......................................................................................................9 University Corner...........................................................................................10 News at Press Time ........................................................................................10 PV Calendar ...................................................................................................12 First Quarter, 1999 PV… On the Road and Looking Ahead An Editorial by Larry Kazmerski am struck by our PV industry’s accomplish- Looking to the future, the industry and the DOE ments and gains, which are so eloquently PV Program are positioning themselves for con- Icited in this issue of PV Working With tinued successes with two major, linked planning Industry that focuses on the successful PV exercises. The DOE PV Program Five-Year Plan Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project. for 2000–2004 will be a “rolling plan,” with Our domestic PV industry—virtually nonexistent reviews and updates every two years. This at the start of our terrestrial program—has risen slimmed-down version will be based on input impressively to its current leadership position in from the DOE Program partners from university, the world PV marketplace. industry, and federal laboratories. Under way now, the plan should be available by the end of the The “snapshots” in the following articles accu- year, and it will reflect the guidance of a more rately reflect some of the major industry encompassing effort—the PV Industry Roadmap. successes in production, manufacturing, and new product innovation, and in reducing costs, The roadmap activity belongs to, and is led by, enhancing yields, and improving technology. the U.S. PV industry. It covers a longer planning At first glance, it looks like we’ve made it—or horizon—from 2000 to 2020. This needs-driven NREL/PIX06859 at least close to it! Barriers are coming down, guide will help to identify, select, and develop Two new guys. Fresh from his appointment the technology is here, partnerships have suc- technology pathways to reach major, quantifi- as Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson ceeded, and the industry is beginning to be able end points. In 2020, for example, this end (left) visited NREL last September. Larry profitable. However, I’m both optimistic and point is to provide at least 15% of new U.S. Kazmerski, who was later named Director cautious as I look back and look forward. electrical generating capacity—projected to of the National Center for Photovoltaics, be about 3200 MW of new PV power systems. Looking back, one could get the impression was on hand to show him the ropes. “Kaz” As currently evolving, this comprehensive road- that all these successes were just handed to the is well known in the PV community, for map will focus on four “technology development industry (“Give them the money and they will both the excellence of his science and the areas”: Fundamental and Applied Research; succeed”). In fact, though, the PVMaT successes, flamboyance of his ties. He wears badge Manufacturing, Equipment, and Processes; as well as the other business accomplishments number seven at the Lab, having been at PV Components, Systems, and Integration; of the PV industry, have not come easily. Indus- NREL since its inception 22 years ago. and Markets and Applications. This reflects the try members certainly took risks, provided their focus areas defined by some fifty NCPV part- Contact Larry Kazmerski at 303-384-6600. own start-up financing, marketed their programs, ners who participated in the NCPV Workshop invested in the best available photovoltaic staff, on PV Program Strategic Directions in July experienced some failures and redirections, 1997. A skeletal roadmap, scheduled for May, maintained their businesses—and had to work will be the basis for a June stakeholders meet- damn hard. ing, where the document will be molded into a more complete industry-guided plan to be Furthermore, the economic and political climates released this September. were not always conducive to helping industry members. They made the best use of their The past has had its accomplishments. And the strengths and collaborated effectively with future holds much promise. The increased pro- the available resources of the PV Program at posed budget for FY 2000 mirrors the growing universities and government laboratories. Also confidence that the government has in PV tech- interesting to me is how many technical and nology, the PV Program, and the PV industry. operational leaders in the industry arose from Together, the PV industry and the rest of the the research trenches of the PV Program. This National Center for Photovoltaics are making may account, in part, for the value that industry sure that we are ready to respond to the oppor- attaches to its base in fundamental and applied tunities and challenges ahead... making PV the research. power of choice. PV Web Sites DOE PV Program ........................................http://www.eren.doe.gov/pv Measurements and Characterization..http://www.nrel.gov/measurements About Photovoltaics • News and Information • About Our Program Virtual Lab • Capabilities • Doing Business • Data Sharing National Center for Photovoltaics ..................http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv Million Solar Roofs ............................http://www.MillionSolarRoofs.org World Class R&D • Partnering and Growth • Information Resources Initiative Goals • Scope • Solar Technologies Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology ....http://www.nrel.gov/pvmat The Center for Basic Sciences ........http://www.nrel.gov/basic_sciences Overview • Partners • Fact Sheets • News and Events • Contacts Capabilities • Optoelectronics • Crystal Growth and Devices 2 PVMaT—Big Gains Since 1992 hen it comes to manufacturing PV modules, PV industry members have generally identified PVMaT success is measured in seconds shaved and as one of the most—if not the most—important pro- Wpennies saved. Make the product better, jects in the DOE Program.The reason why is apparent quicker, and cheaper and the market awaits. from the list of products now emerging in the market- place. A recent issue of Solar Today displayed adver- The Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology tisements for several products that benefitted (PVMaT) project exists for just that from PVMaT support for R&D on reason. Maintaining and enhanc- The goals of the design and manufacture, ing a healthy domestic PV PVMaT project are to improve including AstroPower's industry benefits the U.S. PV manufacturing processes and Silicon-Film™ and economy in so many products for terrestrial applications, accel- the aforementioned ways, from creating a erate PV manufacturing cost reduction, SunSine™300 AC technology-oriented job PV modules. Spire base to offsetting trade and lay the foundation for significantly Corporation's ad imbalances by shipping increased production capacity—and included automated a valuable commodity to to do so in an environmentally assembly equipment such burgeoning world PV markets. safe manner. as the SPI-ASSEMBLER 5000,
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