Introduction – Physics and Technology of Amorphous-Crystalline Heterostructure Silicon Solar Cells

Although photovoltaic solar energy technology (PV) is not the sole answer to the challenges posed by the ever-growing energy consumption worldwide, this renewable energy option can make an important contribution to the economy of each country. According to the

New Policies Scenario

of the “World Energy Outlook 2010” published in November 2010 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) [1], it is to be expected that the share of renewable energies in global energy production increases threefold over the period 2008-2035, and that almost one third of global electricity production will come from renewables by 2035, thus catching up with coal. The “Solar Generation 6” report of the European Photovoltaic Industry association published in October 2010 [2] predicts in its

Solar Generation Paradigm Shift

Scenario that by 2050, PV could generate enough solar electricity to satisfy 21% of the world electricity needs, i.e. a total of up to 6750 TWh of solar PV electricity in 2050, coming from an installed capacity of 4670 GW in 2050. This is to be compared with 40 GW installed in the world at the end of 2010 [3].