The Future of Solar Power: Key technologies and drivers for a solar future

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The solar resource
• Solar photovoltaic power generation
• Solar thermal power generation
• Other approaches to solar power generation
• The economics of solar power generation
• The prospects for solar power

• Introduction
• The report

• Introduction
• Solar potential
• Solar resource sites

• Introduction
• Solar cell basics
• Energy levels and absorption
• Types of solar cell
• Different cell structures
• Flat plate and concentrating cells

• Solar photovoltaic systems
• Building integrated photovoltaics

• Energy storage

• Photovoltaic environmental considerations

• Solar photovoltaic production
• Key manufacturers

• Solar cell country markets

• Utility photovoltaic systems

• Costs

• Introduction

• Solar thermal basics

• Parabolic troughs
• The SEGS parabolic trough plants
• Modern parabolic trough power stations
• Parabolic trough with direct steam generation
• Hybrid parabolic trough - fossil fuel power plants

• Solar towers
• Current solar tower developments
• Other solar tower projects
• Advanced solar tower developments

• Solar dishes
• Solar dish projects
• Solar dish developments

• Solar thermal environmental considerations

• Solar thermal costs

• Introduction

• Solar ponds
• Solar pond projects

• Solar chimneys
• Photoelectrolysis

• Introduction
• Solar thermal power plant economics
• Solar photovoltaic power plant economics
• Comparative costs of utility plants

• Introduction
• Comparative costs of solar generation
• Solar thermal markets
• Solar photovoltaic markets
• Conclusions

• Figure 3.1: Semiconductor band gaps at 300oK (27oC)
• Figure 3.2: Market share among thin film technologies, 2007
• Figure 3.3: Energy payback for solar cells (years)
• Figure 3.4: Annual solar cell production (MW) and cumulative global capacity (MW), 1999-2007
• Figure 3.5: Solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Figure 3.6: Thin film solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Figure 3.7: Top ten solar cell manufacturers, 2006
• Figure 3.8: Largest solar cell markets by country (Annual installation), 2006
• Figure 3.9: Annual US photovoltaic module production costs ($/W), 1970-2006
• Figure 4.10: Typical breakdown of investment in parabolic trough power plant (%)
• Figure 4.11: Breakdown of costs for Solar Tres solar tower plant (%)
• Figure 4.12: Breakdown of costs for a hypothetical 50MW solar dish power plant (%)
• Figure 4.13: Land area for solar thermal power plants (Capacity v ha/MW)
• Figure 4.14: Capital costs for solar thermal power plants (€ /kW)
• Figure 6.15: EU cost estimates for 50MW reference solar thermal power plants (€ /kW), (€ /MWh)
• Figure 6.16: Solar thermal installed cost projections ($/kW), 2006-2010
• Figure 6.17: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic installed cost ($/kW), 2005-2020
• Figure 6.18: Solar plant levelized electricity costs ($/MWh), 2007
• Figure 7.19: Instant installed costs for power generation technologies in California ($/kW), 2007
• Figure 7.20: Levelized cost of electricity from new generation plants in California ($/MWh)
• Figure 7.21: US DoE Solar Program cost targets ($/MWh), 2011 and 2020
• Figure 7.22: Projections for peak demand growth in southwestern US states (MW), 2006 to 2015

• Table 3.1: Semiconductor band gaps at 300oK (27oC)
• Table 3.2: Market share among thin film technologies, 2007
• Table 3.3: Energy payback for solar cells (years)
• Table 3.4: Annual solar cell production (MW) and cumulative global capacity (MW), 1999-2007
• Table 3.5: Solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Table 3.6: Thin film solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Table 3.7: Top ten solar cell manufacturers, 2006
• Table 3.8: Largest solar cell markets by country (Annual installation (MW)), 2006
• Table 3.9: Annual US photovoltaic module production costs ($/W), 1970-2006
• Table 4.10: Typical breakdown of investment in parabolic trough power plant (%)
• Table 4.11: Breakdown of costs for Solar Tres solar tower plant (%)
• Table 4.12: Breakdown of costs for a hypothetical 50MW solar dish power plant (%)
• Table 4.13: Land area for solar thermal power plants (Capacity v ha/MW)
• Table 4.14: Capital costs for solar thermal power plants (€ /kW)
• Table 6.15: EU cost estimates for 50MW reference solar thermal power plants (€ /kW), (€ /MWh)
• Table 6.16: Solar thermal installed cost projections ($/kW), 2006-2010
• Table 6.17: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic installed cost ($/kW), 2005-2020
• Table 6.18: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic electricity costs ($/MWh), 2005-2020
• Table 6.19: Solar plant installation costs ($/kW), 2007
• Table 6.20: Solar plant operation and maintenance costs ($/kW), 2007
• Table 6.21: Solar plant levelized electricity costs ($/MWh), 2007
• Table 7.22: Instant installed costs for power generation technologies in California ($/kW), 2007
• Table 7.23: Levelized cost of electricity from new generation plants in California ($/MWh)
• Table 7.24: US DoE Solar Program cost targets ($/MWh), 2011 and 2020
• Table 7.25: Projections for peak demand growth in southwestern US states (MW), 2006 to 2015