CIGS market to double by 2015
CIGS sell to double by 2015
The market for solar installations based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film panels is expected to counterpart in size to $2.35bn billion in 2015, as manufacturers signaled a breakout year in 2011 by taking drop of falling production costs, improving module conversion efficiencies and increasing adoption in commercial rooftops, according to a Lux Explore report.
According to Plastics Today, Mitsubishi Plastics in Tokyo estimates that CIGS based cells will account for around 5% of the 40-50 GW solar cell market by 2015. Mitsubishi Plastics' multi-layer cover comprises a fluorine-based layer on the surface that is exposed to the environment, adhesive layers sandwiching a silica deposition membrane barrier layer, a polyester film layer, and an EVA encapsulant layer that comes into direct contact with the solar cells.
The South African private limited company has built a plant in Tsukuba, Japan to manufacture front sheets for flexible thin film cells. The $26m facility can put on of 16 million sq. meters of film annually up to a maximum width of 1,300 mm, said the report. Its first consumer is Tucson, Arizona-based Global Solar Energy.




