Recent Developments and Future Prospects for Third Generation and Other Advanced Cells

To reach its ultimate potential, photovoltaics has to attain costs that are sufficiently low for solar-generated electricity to compete with wholesale electricity prices. To do so requires not only low-cost, thin-film approaches but also high energy conversion efficiency to offset unavoidable area-related material and installation costs. This paper reviews progress with so-called "third generation" approaches targeting high-efficiency thin-films involving abundant, non-toxic and durable materials as well as other advanced approaches such as those involving dye-sensitised and organic cells