FLEXIBLE LIGHTWEIGHT MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS AND MODULES WITH ENHANCED PERFORMANCE FOR EFFICIENT LIGHT HARVESTING IN OUTER SPACE

Información del proyecto

JUMP INTO SPACE

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 101162377

DOI

10.3030/101162377

Fecha de la firma de la CE 13 Junio 2024

Fecha de inicio 1 Octubre 2024

Fecha de finalización 30 Septiembre 2028

Financiado con arreglo a

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Coste total

€ 3 993 001,25

Aportación de la UE

€ 3 993 001,25

Coordinado por

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - JUMP INTO SPACE (FLEXIBLE LIGHTWEIGHT MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS AND MODULES WITH ENHANCED PERFORMANCE FOR EFFICIENT LIGHT HARVESTING IN OUTER SPACE)

Período documentado: 2024-10-01 hasta 2025-09-30

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

The exponential growth of satellite launches and, in general, of in-orbit activities calls for technological breakthroughs in cost-effective solar energy harvesting technologies for Space deployment.
JUMP INTO SPACE envisions a high-efficient, lightweight and flexible, stable and sustainable alternative to currently available photovoltaic systems for in-space energy harvesting, via an unexplored synergetic coupling of groundbreaking concepts.
All-perovskite tandem solar cells, based on advanced contact materials and finely tuned perovskite absorbers, will be developed to ensure high efficiency (30% at AM0, but capable of overcoming the single-junction Shockley–Queisser limit). The devices will be endowed with a pioneering, lightweight and flexible, multi-purpose photonic substrate, designed and optimized to embody the dual function of environment shielding and light management boost, while being remarkably stable against high-energy radiation and atomic oxygen erosion. The optimized all-perovskite tandem solar cells will be manufactured on the multi-purpose photonic substrates and thoroughly tested to deliver unprecedentedly high specific power and prove their stability for Space operation in low-orbit conditions.
JUMP INTO SPACE all-perovskite tandem cells on innovative multi-purpose photonic flexible substrates will be game-changers for the next generation of Space Solar Power, e.g. allowing lightweight stowing in rollable platforms, for powering novel propulsion apparatus for in-space mobility and a wide range of spacecrafts and applications.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

During this first year of the project, as first step, we defined the list of operational conditions in LEO relevant for JUMP technology​ together with the testing protocols to be used during the project​. Furthermore, we identified the cell stack, materials and manufacturing processes​ to be used during the continuation of the project. We evaluated using Life Cycle assesment (LCA) the environmental impacts of state-of-the art reference stack. For the multipurpose substrate we performed the optical optimization throught the modelling of the planar and light trapping of the tandem solar cells. We also started the testing on the ​fabrication of the substrate testing the porosification with heavy ions process cobined with hot embossing demonstrated. Colloidal lithography has been done successfully on PET/ITO substrates​.
​Preliminary experiments on tandem configuration on rigid and flexible substrates have been done.
​

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

- New multipurpose substrates: this type of substrates that are suitable for space applications copuld be used not only for perovskite solare cells and modules, but also for other flexible technologies considered for space applications such as CIGS. The light management structures allow a better exploitation of the full solar spectrum will representing a substantial advance in the scientific field related to materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering that could be applied not only on space-based PV technology, but also on ground level technology.
- Evaluation of LCA on state of the art stack: This approach will be developed in the next years of the project to guide and implement the fabrication process, contributing to speed up the transition to a carbon-neutral society.