Descrizione del progetto
Aprire la strada alla sintesi su larga scala di celle solari efficienti a pellicola sottile
Il progetto SOLARUP, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di dimostrare che la tecnologia fotovoltaica a pellicola ultrasottile è scalabile, economicamente vantaggiosa e rispettosa dell’ambiente. L’innovazione di SOLARUP si baserà sul fosfuro di zinco (Zn3P2) nanoingegnerizzato, un materiale abbondante sulla terra, per l’uso come assorbitore semiconduttore e la progettazione di una nuova architettura di dispositivo. I ricercatori puntano a un miglioramento fino al 15 % dell’efficienza delle celle. La tecnologia di conversione dell’energia solare proposta ridurrà la dipendenza dalle materie prime critiche e supererà le soglie di efficienza per aprire al futuro delle celle solari fotovoltaiche flessibili per la distribuzione di massa in edifici intelligenti, robotica morbida, elettronica indossabile e altri prodotti di consumo. Il progetto riunisce sei team europei con competenze complementari all’interfaccia di ricerca Zn3P2, architettura di dispositivo e analisi del ciclo di vita.
Obiettivo
SOLARUP directly addresses the ever louder call for sustainable energy production. The proposed solar energy conversion technology will reduce dependence on critical raw materials and overcome efficiency thresholds to unlock the future of flexible photovoltaic (PV) solar cells for mass deployment in smart buildings, soft robotics, wearable electronics, and other consumer products. Our main innovations lie in nanoengineering zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) for use as an earth-abundant direct bandgap semiconductor absorber, and combined with a novel device architecture we target cell efficiency enhancements of up to 15%. Advanced manufacturing techniques such as nanoimprinting and metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy will be explored to open industrially scalable routes to synthesise high quality Zn3P2 films. Moreover, our approach will allow reuse of the growth substrate, making sustainability another core element of SOLARUP’s radical vision. Optimisation of both the absorber structure and device architecture will be achieved through a holistic interplay of first-principles calculations and atomic scale structural and electronic characterisation. The main outcome of SOLARUP will be the demonstration of an ultrathin-film PV technology that is scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable, complete with a comprehensive life cycle analysis. In this sense our aim is to feed and inspire the development of Zn3P2-based solar cells towards a market ready technology. The project consortium unites six European teams with complementary expertise at the forefront of Zn3P2 research, device architecture, and life cycle analysis, who will approach the ambitious challenges from a flexible and interdisciplinary perspective. SOLARUP has clear potential to make science-based contributions to energy security and high-quality job creation, while also connecting to industry and boosting the trajectories of early-career team members.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processing
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticssoft robotics
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsenergy conversion
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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