Project description
Large-area perovskite solar modules with more than 20 % efficiency
Perovskite solar cells are a promising alternative to their silicon-based counterparts, owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and low fabrication costs. Although they could reduce the levelised cost of solar energy, their widespread adoption is hindered by the lack of efficient large-area devices. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the LrgPSCs project plans to develop large-area solar modules (200–800 cm2) whose efficiencies exceed 20 %. Researchers will implement a new solution-processing method to enable homogenous crystal growth and uniform thin films at large scales. Furthermore, they will investigate advanced interface engineering methods for bulk and surface passivation.
Objective
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are among the most promising next-generation photovoltaic technologies: it combines high photovoltaic performance with low fabrication costs. The practical adoption of PSCs will reduce the levelized cost of electricity of solar energy, contributing to deal with the global crisis on climate change and sustainable development. Despite these promises, the lack of efficient large-area PSCs has so far seriously hindered their commercialization potential, representing one of the most critical challenges in the field of perovskite photovoltaics.
The goal of this project is to develop industrial-relevant highly efficient large-area PSCs (> 20% module efficiency at aperture areas of 200-800 cm2). In this project, an interdisciplinary approach will be devised by combining scalable perovskite fabrication, novel interface engineering, and deep mechanistic understanding to achieve this ambitious goal. Particularly a new solution-processing strategy will be developed to control the crystallization of perovskites, which can enable homogenous crystal growth at large-scales, generating uniform perovskite thin films. Novel interface engineering will then be explored to demonstrate thickness-insensitive 2D/3D perovskite passivation, by utilizing high hole-mobility 2D perovskites. Eventually, the new material-processing strategies will be adopted in the standard perovskite module fabrication, attaining record efficiency large-area PSCs. In addition to device fabrication, fundamental investigations based on ultrafast spectroscopy and synchrotron characterization will also be carried out to elucidate the material formation and device operation mechanism.
This project combines the host lab`s expertise on PSC fabrication and the researcher`s strong background in material design and synthesis. It is highly relevant to Horizon 2020`s goal on clean and efficient energy, whose completion will support Europe at the forefront of renewable energy research.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcrystals
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyphotovoltaic
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland