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DISRUPTIVE KESTERITES-BASED THIN FILM TECHNOLOGIES CUSTOMISED FOR CHALLENGING ARCHITECTURAL AND ACTIVE URBAN FURNITURE APPLICATIONS

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

High-efficiency kesterite solar cells get a chance to shine

Building- and product-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV and PIPV) are identified as key enabling technologies to make 'near-zero energy buildings' and 'net-zero energy districts' a reality. The mass adoption of BIPV and PIPV solutions can only be achieved by developing cost-efficient and sustainable thin-film technologies with unbeatable aesthetic functionalities, mechanical flexibility and optical tunability. The EU-funded CUSTOM-ART project aims to develop the next generation of BIPV and PIPV modules based on abundant thin-film materials such as kesterites. The project will bring flexible and semi-transparent solar modules to a higher level of maturity (TRL 7), demonstrating very competitive conversion efficiencies (20 % at cell and 16 % at module levels) and increased durability (over 35 years), at a reduced production cost (less than EUR 75/m2).

Objective

CUSTOM-ART aims at developing the next generation of building and product integrated photovoltaic modules (BIPV and PIVP respectively), based on earth-abundant and fully sustainable thin film technologies. Nowadays, BIPV and PIPV are identified as key enabling technologies to make “near Zero Energy Buildings” and “net Zero Energy Districts” more realistic, through the integration of a new generation of photovoltaic modules capable of entirely replacing architectural/mobility/urban-furniture passive elements. This promising scenario of mass realisation of BIPV and PIPV solutions can only be achieved by developing cost-efficient and sustainable thin film technologies with unbeatable aesthetic functionalities, including mechanical flexibility and optical tuneability. Unfortunately, mature materials already available at the market such as Cu(In,Ga)Se2 or CdTe are formed by scarce and expensive elements (In, Ga and Te), or toxic ones (Cd).
Considering this, CUSTOM-ART will join for the first time a leading group of companies and academic partners all around Europe, to develop advanced BIPV and PIPV products (flexible and semi-transparent solar modules), based on earth abundant kesterite materials, which have been demonstrated in two previous European projects to be at the forefront of emerging inorganic thin film technologies. By combining advanced strategies for materials properties management, with customized modules design in a circular economy approach, two types of products will be developed including flexible PV modules (polymer and steel supports) and semi-transparent (polymer). CUSTOM-ART will bring these technologies from TRL4-5 up to TRL7, demonstrating very competitive conversion efficiencies (20% at cell and 16% at module level) and durability (over 35 years), at a reduced production cost (< 75 €/m2), using exclusively abundant elements and contributing to ensure the full sustainability and competitiveness of the European BIPV and PIPV Industry.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-LC-SC3-2020-RES-IA-CSA

Funding Scheme

IA - Innovation action

Coordinator

FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE RECERCA DE L'ENERGIA DE CATALUNYA
Net EU contribution
€ 487 397,40
Address
C/ jardins de les dones de negre 1
08930 Sant adria de besos
Spain

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Region
Este Cataluña Barcelona
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Other funding
€ 0,00

Participants (19)

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Last update: 26 February 2023
Record number: 230471

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European Union, 2023