Materials considerations for PV markets: Guideposts for technology directions

The primary metrics for PV systems are cost and efficiency. We propose to put more emphasis on additional metrics representing materials properties related to their availability and toxicity. While toxicity and availability have been discussed in recent years within the PV community and identified as recurrent concerns, they are not yet an integral part of the decision-making process about new PV projects. This paper outlines specific materials of concern and provides an analysis which is intended to enumerate important questions. We show that not only the actual material availability, but also geographic and political aspects of the supply chain, as well as chemical and environmental properties, and further processing requirements must all be addressed to minimize market restrictions during the product lifecycle. The value of this market analysis is to provide a broader perspective of the market conditions to help guide scientific development paths.