Advantages of concentrating over flat-plate systems for large PV installations [22].
Lower cost
GaAs dish concentrators are projected to produce electricity at 7.4 cents/kWh by 2010, whereas thin-film modules are projected to be at 9.6 cents/kWh. If thin-film module prices come down from the assumed $75/m2 to $35/m2 at 12% efficiency (29 cents/W), then thin-film electricity cost would equal GaAs dish cost.
Superior efficiency
Concentrators are the only option to have system efficiencies over 20%. This reduces land utilization as well as area related costs.
Higher annual capacity factor
Tracking provides for improved energy output. Once the expense of tracking is incurred with flat-plates, the leap to installing concentrator modules is small.
Less materials availability issues
Concentrators use standard construction materials for the bulk of their requirements. Flat-plate systems have serious concerns over material availability: silicon feedstock, or indium in the case of CuInSe2.
Less toxic material use
Many thin-film concepts use quite toxic materials such as cadmium, and so forth.
Ease of recycling
The trend in modern mass-product manufacturing is to make a product as recyclable as possible. Concentrators are composed mainly of easily recyclable materials, steel, aluminum, and plastic. Recycling flat-plate modules will be much more difficult.
Ease of rapid manufacturing capacity scale-up
Existing semiconductor manufacturing capacity is more than sufficient to supply projected cell requirements. The remaining manufacturing is comprised of rather standard mechanical components. This greatly reduces capital requirements compared to flat-plate.
High local manufacturing content
Aside from the cells, the remaining content of concentrator systems can be manufactured worldwide, and close to the final point-of-use.