Developing an alternative to CIGS is driven not so much by cost as availability of the raw material to make cells, Mitzi explained. Gallium and indium, which is used in flat-panel production, could become constrained as solar volumes increased. Much of the production of those elements is centered in China, he added.
Replacing those elements with more abundant copper and tin in CZTS cells has the potential to supply 500 gigawatts of solar power, many times more than CIGS, according to the paper. The researchers have sought to replace selenium with more abundant sulfur as well to address material availability.
Having CZTS match CIGS on efficiency within five years is a reasonable time horizon, Mitzi said. IBM is working solar companies in the research, including Japan-based Solar Frontier, which installed 577 megawatts worth of CIGS panels last year, according to GTM Research.
Solar manufacturers have developed thin-film solar panels because they promise to be cheaper. But the costs of the incumbent silicon solar processes have dropped precipitously over the past three years. (See, The Dog Days of Solar).
That has made thin-film’s cost advantage dwindle. But there are a number of research groups working with CZTS with an eye towards the long term.
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