Overview
The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is poised to exploit a growing global trillion-dollar market for electricity. Carbon-free power is the growing choice for developed and developing economies.
Currently, the PV industry is dominated by crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology. This dominance is being challenged by thin film technologies, especially CIGS, that have lower production costs and the intrinsic ability to convert more light into electrical energy (kWh) per rated watt (kW) of module power output. Additionally, over time, it is expected that thin-film CIGS technology performance will approach that of crystalline PV as a consequence of ongoing development.
Unique product portfolio includes both flat-plate modules & flexible laminates to address BOTH dominant market segments – Utility & BIPV.
Technology roadmap to industry leading thin-film module performance of 14-17% with a long-term cost target of $0.50/W cost basis.
Strategic partnership with strong Asian renewable energy player(s), resulting in mutually beneficial cooperation on manufacturing and deployment.
Acquisition of production and development know-how to mitigate near-term risk.
Technology:
The thin-film CIGS solar cell technology has been under development for over 30 years. It exhibits the highest performance for thin-film technologies with laboratory cell and production module performance at 20.5% & 16.8%, respectively. Modules have been deployed in the field for nearly 25 years and exhibit excellent long-term reliability. Thin-film CIGS modules also produce 5-10% more kilowatt-hours of energy per kilowatt of rated power relative to its crystalline Si (c-Si) counterpart. Skypoint will additionally pursue a multi-junction cell technology based upon CIGS that could achieve 25% (lab) conversion efficiency or higher.
Product Options:
The CIGS solar cell technology can be packaged in a traditional monolithically integrated “flat-plate” package using glass, or by fabricating discrete solar cells on flexible metallic substrates and packaging them using either glass or flexible polymeric materials. The latter product manifestation is ideal for building-integrate photovoltaic (BIPV) applications such as commercial and residential roofing materials.
Technology Entry:
Skypoint’s experience base in business and technology operations is conducive to a rapid development and deployment cycle for full-scale thin-film PV product manufacturing. A combination of factors, including mature production-scale tooling available “off-the-shelf” and opportunities to leverage distressed assets in the CIGS technology space, enables Skypoint to offer a fast-track from start-up to a production-scale Pilot line, followed by deployment of a 25 MW/yr CIGS-on-glass and/or 40 MW/yr CIGS-flex production platform(s) in 18-24 months.