Cost-effective large area integrated multijunction amorphous silicon solar cell structures

Objective

The main objective of this project is the development and optimization of new types of large area photovoltaic amorphous silicon thin film modules in order to establish a significant cost reduction for electricity generation in rural applications and solar houses. The project will deliver 30cm x 30cm modules with a stabilized conversion efficiency of 8%, using an integrated twoterminal tandem device structure. The variable cost (direct manpower and materials) for this type of modules will be decreased
to only 1 Ecu/Wp.


The CLIMAX project aims at cost-reduction in the production of 30cm x 30cm amorphous silicon modules in order to open up new fields of applications. The integrated two-terminal tandem modules with enhanced stabilized efficiency, which will be developed in this project, will be suitable for power generation.
Newly developed device structures will be implemented directly in the production environment at NAPS France and proper feed back to the laboratories will be provided.
It is expected that the project will demonstrate that the production of large area amorphous silicon tandem modules is possible in an energy-effective and cost-effective manner. A stabilized conversion efficiency of 8% will be achieved at a variable cost level of only 1 Ecu/Wp at a relatively small production volume. Due to ongoing research, the project will also result in advanced deposited silicon materials, new bandgap engineering and profiling concepts, as well as numerical computer simulations for the analysis of such structures.
The application of the modules will be in stand-alone systems, such as in the roofs of many rural isolated houses in Europe, but also in grid-connected systems to meet expensive peak load demand. New applications based on the research results will utilize the full potential of tandem cells, i.e. increased efficiency by effective spectrum splitting.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electrical engineering › power engineering › electric power generation
• engineering and technology › materials engineering › coating and films
• natural sciences › chemical sciences › inorganic chemistry › metalloids
• natural sciences › mathematics › applied mathematics › mathematical model

Programme(s)

• FP3-JOULE 2 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 0304 - Renewable energies for rural electricity, local fuel and water

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht

Address

5,princetonplein
3508 CC Utrecht
Netherlands

Participants (3)

Microchemistry Ltd.

Finland

Address

6,keilaranta 6
02151 Espoo

Neste Naps France

France

Address

Route De La Bassée Zone Industrielle
62302 Lens

Technische Universiteit Delft

Netherlands

Address

4,mekelweg
2628 CD Delft