Daystar Technologies is a producer of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. The company uses its own manufacturing process, that it claims increases the cells' efficiency and reduces production costs. CIGS has proven to be more efficient than the other thin-film technologies, Cadmium Telluride and amorphous silicon. Using CIGS, DSTI has achieved a 14% conversion efficiency,^[1] a full 8% above the average for thin film cells.^[2] Although thin-film technologies have proven to be cheaper to produce than the standard poly-crystalline silicon panels, they are less efficient and require more space to produce the same quantity of electricity.

Daystar Technologies is in the process of constructing its first large scale production facility in California, which is designed to produce 25 MW of solar panels each year. With the growing concern over global warming, solar and other forms of renewable energy have received support in the form of larger investments, government tax breaks and subsidies, in order to make them more competitive. The solar PV market has been hampered by silicon shortages as a majority of PV systems use purified silicon for their products; however, Daystar does not use silicon and thus benefits when its competitors are forced to pay more for silicon. Unfortunately for Daystar, silicon shortages look to be nearing an end, as suppliers continue to ramp up production and complete new facilities to supply the market. Daystar and its primary competition in CIGS, Ascent Solar, are looking to enter the market, and compete with the more established PV manufacturers First Solar, Suntech Power Holdings, and SunPower.

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