The case for a 40% efficiency goal for photovoltaic cells in 2005

The creation of 40% efficient, multijunction laboratory cells under 500 x concentrations is a reasonable, important near-term goal for the US photovoltaic (PV) program. A renewed focus on high-performance PV device research is justified by the large-scale market potential it creates for PV. Promising research results on multijunction III-V devices have established the technical feasibility of this goal. DOE is working to expand the resources available for high-performance research, while continuing to accomplish breakthroughs in thin-films, manufacturing, and balance of systems that will pave the way for commercial deployment of new high-efficiency PV devices. This paper explains why 40% efficiency is important to achieving PV's potential, the research results that have led to this conclusion and how this research complements the overall PV program; and discusses how the US program intends to accomplish this challenging - but realistic - goal. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.