The Global Market for Thin Films in Energy Applications

Report Highlights

The global market for thin films in energy applications is forecast to increase from nearly $14.6 billion in 2014 to nearly $19.7 billion in 2015. This market is estimated to reach nearly $84.2 billion in 2020 increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.7% during the next five years, from 2015-2020.

Report Includes

• An overview of the global markets for thin films in energy applications and related technologies.
• Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2014, 2015, and projections of CAGRs through 2020.
• Coverage of these films in applications including fuel cells, photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, geothermal energy, wind energy, nuclear energy, and others.
• A comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages to using thing films.
• Evaluation of the market's dynamics, specifically growth drivers, inhibitors, and opportunities.
• Profiles of major players in the industry.

Report Scope

Global demand for traditional fossil fuels has risen at an unprecedented rate over the last several decades. The economics of supply and demand have driven prices of oil, gas and coal to record levels, although the oil market is currently undergoing a period of oversupply. In addition, fossil fuels are considered a source of pollution that enables climate change. Nations have responded by instituting reductions in activities that require the use of fossil fuels and by searching for alternative energy methods.

The thin films market has thus evolved over the past few years alongside developments in the electronics and semiconductor industries. Photovoltaics (PV) is the major technology that has historically made the most use of thin films, and today dominates the market, accounting for more than 85% of the market share. The thin film batteries market, though smaller in size, is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast period.

Our goal is to examine traditional and alternative energy technologies to determine the use, if any, of thin films in their fabrication and operation. Thin films are often applied to reduce the cost of product fabrication, improve performance and provide more flexibility in product design. In addition, they are environmentally benign.

The geographical regions covered under the scope of the report include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world (RoW). The study covers major countries such as the U.S., Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, U.K., China, India, Australia, Singapore, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Japan and Germany, among others. The present market size and market forecast through 2020 are provided in the report.

Analyst Credentials

Gupta is an economist and has nearly 10 years of experience in researching the electronics market. He has authored many reports pertaining to semiconductors and electronic devices, and is currently mentoring a team of analysts from this domain.

Abhigyan has headed electronics research in several research companies. He was an analyst with Frost & Sullivan, specializing in the displays and electronic components industry in North America; his published reports covered flat-panel displays, LCDs, thin film batteries, industrial and building automation, solid-state transformers, traction transformers, ceramic capacitors, EDLC and other subjects.

He also worked closely with the best practices team at Frost and Sullivan and with companies such as Schneider, ABB, Samsung, NEC and AVX.

Prior to that, Abhigyan was the head of the Department of Economic Affairs and Government Policy at the Automotive Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA) of India, and covered the electronic components sector in the automotive industry. He was a part of the ACMA delegation in the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial in December 2005, and is well-versed in international policy and WTO affairs.