General Electric (GE) will venture more into the solar sector within the next two years. Last year, GE took a majority stake in US-based PrimeStar Solar – a strategic move to acquire its cadmium telluride cell technology.
The energy giant expects to produce solar panels made with cadmium telluride by 2011, said Michael Idelchik, VP of advanced technologies at GE Global Research. The company now sells solar panels that use silicon solar cells, but its long-term bet is on thin-film–and specifically cadmium telluride–because it offers the cheapest cost per watt, he said.
GE believes that the solar industry has the ability to expand rapidly just as its wind business has done over the past five years. "Solar is definitely the next wind for us. It’s not there yet, but it’s moving very rapidly," Idelchik said. Solar is more expensive than wind right now, but he said that GE expects renewable energy mandates to help drive growth and bring costs down.
One way to lower that research is to devote more research and development into thin-film solar, seen as more economical and reliable than silicon because thin-film cells use less material. But how will GE differ from industry leader First Solar’s cadmium telluride products? Idelchik said GE’s creation would offer more flexibility for customers in terms of installation and operation.