Concentrator photovoltaics offer the potential to provide the lowest cost solar energy in regions such as the US desert southwest, where the solar resource is enough to satisfy the entire energy needs of the US many times over.  However, advances are still needed to make concentrator photovoltaics the clear choice for desert power generation.

This Technology Roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the private sector, academia and government for a highly interactive, facilitated discussion over 1 1⁄2 days to inform and focus research in the field. Topics focused on required cell efficiencies, cell costs, and technological innovations for both cells and systems.

To keep the discussion interactive, participation was strictly limited and by invitation only.

Roundtable Goal:
To identify what it will take for concentrator photovoltaics to supply 100 GW of solar electricity in the US by 2030.

This event was co-hosted by UC Santa Barbara's Institute for Energy Efficiency and the Center for Energy Efficient Materials (an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences).