Industrial Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) photovoltaic (PV) efficiencies have routinely reached >20% with the passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) design. Nanostructuring silicon (black-Si) by dry-etching decreases surface reflectance, allows diamond saw wafering, enhances metal gettering, and may prevent power conversion efficiency degradation under light exposure. Black-Si allows a potential for >20% PERC cells using cheaper multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) materials, although dry-etching is widely considered too expensive for industrial application. This study analyzes this economic potential by comparing costs of standard texturized Cz-Si and black mc-Si PERC cells. Manufacturing sequences are divided into steps, and costs per unit power are individually calculated for all different steps. Baseline costs for each step are calculated and a sensitivity analysis run for a theoretical 1 GW/year manufacturing plant, combining data from literature and industry. The results show an increase in the overall cell processing costs between 15.8% and 25.1% due to the combination of black-Si etching and passivation by double-sided atomic layer deposition. Despite this increase, the cost per unit power of the overall PERC cell drops by 10.8%. This is a significant cost saving and thus energy policies are reviewed to overcome challenges to accelerating deployment of black mc-Si PERC across the PV industry.
Pearce, J. (2019). Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/economic-advantages-of-dry-etched-black-silicon-in-passivated-emitter-rear-cell-perc-photovoltaic-manufacturing
Pearce, Joshua "Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing" Afribary. Afribary, 15 Apr. 2019, https://afribary.com/works/economic-advantages-of-dry-etched-black-silicon-in-passivated-emitter-rear-cell-perc-photovoltaic-manufacturing. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Pearce, Joshua . "Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing". Afribary, Afribary, 15 Apr. 2019. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/economic-advantages-of-dry-etched-black-silicon-in-passivated-emitter-rear-cell-perc-photovoltaic-manufacturing >.
Pearce, Joshua . "Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing" Afribary (2019). Accessed April 29, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/economic-advantages-of-dry-etched-black-silicon-in-passivated-emitter-rear-cell-perc-photovoltaic-manufacturing