The Future of Solar Power: Key technologies and drivers for a solar future

The Future of Solar Power: Key technologies and drivers for a solar future published by Business Insights in July, 2008. This report consists of 114 pages and the price starts from US $ 2875.

Introduction

This report analyses the future of solar power generation- It looks at the key technologies, and examines the efficiency and economics of the different solar power generation systems. It looks specifically at a range off issues affecting the costs, efficiency and take up of solar photovoltaic power generation and solar thermal power generation as well as a brief consideration of other and emerging solar generation technologies. Drawing on over 30 separate sources, the report analyses the most current thinking on solar power generation. It gives the most comprehensive view on the drivers and resistors of solar power capacity growth and its impact on the power generation landscape.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The solar resource
• Solar photovoltaic power generation
• Solar thermal power generation
• Other approaches to solar power generation
• The economics of solar power generation
• The prospects for solar power

• Introduction
• The report

• Introduction
• Solar potential
• Solar resource sites

• Introduction
• Solar cell basics
• Energy levels and absorption
• Types of solar cell
• Different cell structures
• Flat plate and concentrating cells

• Solar photovoltaic systems
• Building integrated photovoltaics

• Energy storage

• Photovoltaic environmental considerations

• Solar photovoltaic production
• Key manufacturers

• Solar cell country markets

• Utility photovoltaic systems

• Costs

• Introduction

• Solar thermal basics

• Parabolic troughs
• The SEGS parabolic trough plants
• Modern parabolic trough power stations
• Parabolic trough with direct steam generation
• Hybrid parabolic trough - fossil fuel power plants

• Solar towers
• Current solar tower developments
• Other solar tower projects
• Advanced solar tower developments

• Solar dishes
• Solar dish projects
• Solar dish developments

• Solar thermal environmental considerations

• Solar thermal costs

• Introduction

• Solar ponds
• Solar pond projects

• Solar chimneys
• Photoelectrolysis

• Introduction
• Solar thermal power plant economics
• Solar photovoltaic power plant economics
• Comparative costs of utility plants

• Introduction
• Comparative costs of solar generation
• Solar thermal markets
• Solar photovoltaic markets
• Conclusions

• Figure 3.1: Semiconductor band gaps at 300oK (27oC)
• Figure 3.2: Market share among thin film technologies, 2007
• Figure 3.3: Energy payback for solar cells (years)
• Figure 3.4: Annual solar cell production (MW) and cumulative global capacity (MW), 1999-2007
• Figure 3.5: Solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Figure 3.6: Thin film solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Figure 3.7: Top ten solar cell manufacturers, 2006
• Figure 3.8: Largest solar cell markets by country (Annual installation), 2006
• Figure 3.9: Annual US photovoltaic module production costs ($/W), 1970-2006
• Figure 4.10: Typical breakdown of investment in parabolic trough power plant (%)
• Figure 4.11: Breakdown of costs for Solar Tres solar tower plant (%)
• Figure 4.12: Breakdown of costs for a hypothetical 50MW solar dish power plant (%)
• Figure 4.13: Land area for solar thermal power plants (Capacity v ha/MW)
• Figure 4.14: Capital costs for solar thermal power plants (€ /kW)
• Figure 6.15: EU cost estimates for 50MW reference solar thermal power plants (€ /kW), (€ /MWh)
• Figure 6.16: Solar thermal installed cost projections ($/kW), 2006-2010
• Figure 6.17: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic installed cost ($/kW), 2005-2020
• Figure 6.18: Solar plant levelized electricity costs ($/MWh), 2007
• Figure 7.19: Instant installed costs for power generation technologies in California ($/kW), 2007
• Figure 7.20: Levelized cost of electricity from new generation plants in California ($/MWh)
• Figure 7.21: US DoE Solar Program cost targets ($/MWh), 2011 and 2020
• Figure 7.22: Projections for peak demand growth in southwestern US states (MW), 2006 to 2015

• Table 3.1: Semiconductor band gaps at 300oK (27oC)
• Table 3.2: Market share among thin film technologies, 2007
• Table 3.3: Energy payback for solar cells (years)
• Table 3.4: Annual solar cell production (MW) and cumulative global capacity (MW), 1999-2007
• Table 3.5: Solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Table 3.6: Thin film solar cell production (MW) by country, 2006
• Table 3.7: Top ten solar cell manufacturers, 2006
• Table 3.8: Largest solar cell markets by country (Annual installation (MW)), 2006
• Table 3.9: Annual US photovoltaic module production costs ($/W), 1970-2006
• Table 4.10: Typical breakdown of investment in parabolic trough power plant (%)
• Table 4.11: Breakdown of costs for Solar Tres solar tower plant (%)
• Table 4.12: Breakdown of costs for a hypothetical 50MW solar dish power plant (%)
• Table 4.13: Land area for solar thermal power plants (Capacity v ha/MW)
• Table 4.14: Capital costs for solar thermal power plants (€ /kW)
• Table 6.15: EU cost estimates for 50MW reference solar thermal power plants (€ /kW), (€ /MWh)
• Table 6.16: Solar thermal installed cost projections ($/kW), 2006-2010
• Table 6.17: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic installed cost ($/kW), 2005-2020
• Table 6.18: Benchmark (2005) and projected solar photovoltaic electricity costs ($/MWh), 2005-2020
• Table 6.19: Solar plant installation costs ($/kW), 2007
• Table 6.20: Solar plant operation and maintenance costs ($/kW), 2007
• Table 6.21: Solar plant levelized electricity costs ($/MWh), 2007
• Table 7.22: Instant installed costs for power generation technologies in California ($/kW), 2007
• Table 7.23: Levelized cost of electricity from new generation plants in California ($/MWh)
• Table 7.24: US DoE Solar Program cost targets ($/MWh), 2011 and 2020
• Table 7.25: Projections for peak demand growth in southwestern US states (MW), 2006 to 2015

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