SEMI (San Jose, California, US) will present a new edition of its International Technology Roadmap for PV (ITRPV) at its 2013 PV Fab Managers Forum on March 10th-12th in Berlin.
The 2012 edition of the ITRPV will include global coverage of the supply chain from polysilicon to solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which it credits to new co-chairs from China and the United States. The document represents the input of more than 15 PV manufacturers.
"As I am coming from the semiconductor industry, roadmaps and standards are very common and especially useful tools," notes JA Solar CTO Liu Yong. "It was a surprise to me to see that the PV industry players tried such a long time to work independently and did not join such an initiative."
"JA Solar contributes to the roadmap — we are convinced that the PV industry needs to jointly develop a technical roadmap to determine and control the path of the technology."
PV system cost structure included
This latest ITRPV edition focuses on a range of materials and technologies that enable new products such as glass-to-glass and bi-facial modules, as well as a deeper look into different technologies.
An analysis of PV systems is added in the new edition, which SEMI enables a look into the cost structure of systems by component in different nations.
ITRPV co-Chair and REC Silicon VP for R&D Dr. Stein Julsrud also expressed the hope that more silicon suppliers will join the effort for an industry-wide alignment, which he says will ensure a more cohesive global supply chain.