All solar modules and solar cells have the potential to get a boost in efficiency, especially thin-film solar and concentrated photovoltaics. This is according to Dan Arvizu, the director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), who presented his observations during the 2013 International Renewable Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi.
Although thin-film solar panels have been replaced by conventional solar photovoltaics and somehow have been forgotten, they still remain one of the modules that have the potential to be greatly improved in terms of their efficiency.
The fact that these are much cheaper than conventional PVs gives thin-film solar panels a huge advantage. They might be less efficient, however, they have the highest theoretical efficiency limit out of all currently existing types of solar.
The competition on the market is also quite fierce. Besides the giants in the industry- First solar, other companies such as the Australian Solar Frontier are working on developing more efficient thin-film solar technology.
In addition to the commercial sector, researchers at university laboratories around the world are constantly coming up with efficiency improvements for the technology.
It is certain, however, that the technology, which will take over the market, will be the one which gets the biggest boost in efficiency, using low-cost materials.
Solar is becoming increasingly popular, and it is only a matter of time before this renewable energy source becomes dominant on the energy market.