Project description DEENESFRITPL Development of wide band gap thin-film photovoltaics suitable for tandem solar cells Today's commercial solar panels are made of low band gap silicon or CIGS materials as light absorbers. Technologically joining these commercial solar cells with another solar cell made of a wide band gap light absorber, which uses the short wavelength fraction of the sunlight more efficiently, further boosts solar cell efficiency. This device is known as a tandem solar cell stack. Currently we are yet to realise sustainable highly efficient wide band gap solar cell materials. The EU-funded FaWB ChaLT project is developing such a wide band gap thin-film solar cell. Researchers will substitute silver for a fraction of copper in Ga-rich, Se-based CIGS material to yield low-temperature, processable, wide band gap (1.65−1.7 eV) ACIGS absorbers. Researchers will also investigate mitigation of defects in ACIGS and conduct drift-diffusion simulations. The laboratory prototypes will be scaled up by an industrial partner. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Adapting photovoltaics as a reliable renewable energy source, advanced technological solutions must be brought at the cell level. The power conversion efficiency targets must be higher than the currently available commercial single-junction solar cells of silicon (Si) or low-bandgap copper indium gallium selenide (CIGSe). The efficiency of photovoltaics can be increased by joining two cells in a single stack (top/bottom) called a tandem solar cell. Such a configuration needs a wide bandgap solar cell to be joined atop the commercial low bandgap Si or CIGSe photovoltaics. This project aims to develop such a wide-bandgap thin-film solar cell. By careful compositional engineering, silver (Ag) will be substituted for a fraction of copper (Cu) in sulfur-rich CIGS to yield wide bandgap (1.65-1.7 eV) ACIGS absorbers. Ag substitution is expected to reduce the melting point of the resulting absorber (ACIGS), thus allowing its deposition at relatively low temperatures. This provision eliminates the bottom cell damage while adapting ACIGS as a top cell in a tandem configuration. The project also investigates defects in ACIGS and their mitigation by implementing adequate passivation strategies. The solar cell device architecture will be tailored to yield high open-circuit voltages reducing the non-radiative losses across the absorber/buffer layer interface. Drift-diffusion simulations will be carried out connecting the materials properties, defects, and recombination mechanisms with the observed experimental results. The small-scale ACIGS devices fabricated in the laboratory will be scaled up at the industry partner fabricating mini-modules. The expected project results have the potential to be a major milestone in the development of tandem PV and to be readily exploited in industry. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyphotovoltaic Programme(s) HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme Topic(s) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 Call for proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit Grant Coordinator HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN FUR MATERIALIEN UND ENERGIE GMBH Net EU contribution € 217 309,20 Address Hahn meitner platz 1 14109 Berlin Germany See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Partners (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all SUNPLUGGED - SOLARE ENERGIESYSTEME GMBH Austria Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address Mindelheimer strasse 6 6130 Schwaz See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Westösterreich Tirol Tiroler Unterland Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
