Being in the middle (M18-M19) of the PILATUS project duration, an intermediate evaluation on the PV market has been done (PILATUS milestone 8). With the current situation of €0.13 per Wp for mainstream PV, while PILATUS aims for €0.20 per Wp, the bankability of the PILATUS SHJ-IBC modules manufactured in Europe is at this stage not yet promising. However, on the 5th of March it became clear that even Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi does not consider the . Nevertheless, the PILATUS technology presents other advantages like its exceptional durability and low CO2 footprint which could support its adoption. At the General Assembly in Neuchâtel, also the market for rooftiles for the PILATUS PV product portfolio was discussed. For more information, check the milestone 8 report on the PILATUS website. Also the tour during the General Assembly showed alternative applications, such as roofs for driving vehicles for which PILATUS technology might be feasible (see picture above).
As became clear at the General Assembly in Neuchâtel, to evaluate the profitability of PV, it is important to consider not only the upfront costs, but also the evolution of the PV system performance over the full lifetime. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) considers this to determine a minimum electricity price for a profitable PV system. In PILATUS, we evaluate the quality and reliability of the PILATUS PV technology to show how module quality improves the LCOE. Inspired by recent developments on the global PV market and the difficulty for European PV manufacturers to compete, in PILATUS we will also investigate what is needed to bridge the gap between European and Asian manufacturing.
