First Solar Drives Down Costs of Producing Thin-Film Solar Panels
Thin-Film Solar Panels
Thin-film panels, such as those made by First Solar Inc, the largest U.S. solar power company, are cheaper to make per watt of electricity than are standard panels.
The average thin-film solar panel price is expected to decline nearly 18 percent in 2010 to $1.40 per watt, iSuppli said. Average prices for silicon-based panels are expected to drop 20 percent to $2.00 per watt in 2010.
Most solar panels, like those made by Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd and California-based SunPower Corp, rely on polysilicon as a key raw material, while thin-film panel makers use a variety of different materials to turn sunlight into electricity.
Sheppard added that First Solar has driven its cost of production to less than 90 cents per watt, keeping its costs at about half the level of its competitors that use silicon-based technology.
Thin-film panels’ cost advantage has helped attract Japan’s Sharp Corp to expand into the thin film market. Solar equipment suppliers, such as Applied Materials Inc and Swiss technology group Oerlikon’s solar arm, are ramping up in thin-film space as well.
