A new research report from Lux Research, an independent research and advisory company, has identified Natcore Technology as an innovator with “next-generation technologies that will drive down cost-per-watt and restore profit margins to low double digits” for solar module manufacturers.
Natcore’s “Absolute Black” technology absorbs over 99% of the sunlight that hits it.
In a news release announcing the report, Natcore was singled out as “the leader in [antireflective and light-trapping coatings] with likely commercialization this year.”
In the study titled, “Searching for Game Changers in Photovoltaic Materials Innovations: Next‐Generation Technologies that Drive Down [Cost/Watt],” Lux Research has created a “Disruptive PV Technology Grid” that quantitatively evaluates new photovoltaic technologies for their cost reduction potential and time to market. Using the Grid, Lux Research analysts evaluated technologies on the horizon to assess which will be game changers and which will likely never be commercialized.
New innovations that improve existing technologies will lead to reduced costs and higher margins, the report says, noting solar companies that have failed (like Solyndra and Evergreen) did so because they were trying to break the mold instead of improving it. The Lux Research analyst says:
“To avoid future Evergreens and Solyndras, tomorrow’s PV winners will focus on innovative PV technologies, addressing $/W [cost/watt] as the single most important metric. One of the key reasons for Solyndra’s demise was its high ~$3.5/W. Moreover, Solyndra’s technology was hard to scale, wherein [its technology] proved too ambitious for current capabilities.
“Learning from history, next- generation PV technologies that offer both low $/W and are easy to scale using substantially existing PV infrastructure will be the likely winners in the midst of an equally large array of corpses.”
“Halve the cost, double the efficiency: That’s our mantra,” says Chuck Provini, Natcore’s president and CEO. “We have been working for years to dramatically lower the cost of solar energy through techniques such as our ‘absolute black’ silicon, and commercialization is finally within our grasp. We are elated by the validation that this report is giving our scientific and technical staff for the work they have done. We are gratified that our technology has been recognized by another highly respected observer of the solar industry. We look forward to commercializing our disruptive technology.”
Natcore Technology
www.natcoresolar.com
