Innovation and impact

Benefits and need

Photovoltaics is increasingly important for the national interest, providing economic opportunities, advantages to the electricity grid such as improved grid resiliency, lower cost and environmental benefits. Yet PV is more than a replacement for existing electrical capacity; it is also an engine for innovation and economic growth, with an expected $10 trillion in investment in the coming two decades in renewables

PV is well suited for an increasing component of US manufacturing, with commodity manufacturing overseas and higher performance or innovative components from the US in a model similar to that of other semiconductor technologies.

For example, while much of the computer chip commodity manufacturing has moved overseas, the semiconductor industry contributes significantly to the US economy and is one of the top three sectors in the US in both manufacturing overall (with petroleum refining and pharmaceuticals) and in exports (with automobiles and aircraft). PV is presently about 2/3 the size of the conventional semiconductor industry and is an essential technology not only for modernization of the electricity grid but also for advanced applications. This is a critical time as PV has large scope for improvement, and the technologies presently in production are likely to be superseded.

The overarching goal of the proposed work is to drive the innovation that will enable this next generation of technologies and provide advantages to the US in a similar way to semiconductor manufacturing is necessary and provides benefits in the US.