First Solar: 5 years, the cost of production is expected to drop 1/3

U.S. CdTe (cadmium telluride) thin film solar module manufacturer First Solar Inc. President Bruce Sohn 24 held at the Las Vegas conference that is expected in 2014 the company's thin-film solar cell production costs is expected by 2009 Q1 of 0.93 U.S. dollars per watt down to 0.52-0.63 dollars, and energy conversion efficiency is expected from the current 10.9% to 12.5%.

According to reports, CdTe thin film solar cells of the highest conversion efficiency was 16.5%, from the United States reached a National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In addition, SunPower Corp. Just recently introduced a 19.3 percent conversion efficiency of the polysilicon solar cells.

Well-known U.S. financial weekly Barron `s previously reported, First Solar thin film solar cell conversion efficiency of 11% only, which is lower than silicon solar cells 20%, while the company also said that if the polysilicon price around 50 U.S. dollars per kilogram , its cost advantage will disappear. As the supply of the serious oversupply of polysilicon by the end of March from a year ago the price of 450 U.S. dollars per kg down to about 100 dollars.

Jun. 26, 2009