BIPV - Page 4

Researchers from Kyung Hee University and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in Korea have used cholesteric reflective screens, which were influenced by the skin of a beetle, to produce efficient and opaque perovskite solar cells. Unlike metal and oxide-based reflection screens, cholesteric reflective filters (ChRFs) are entirely composed of organic compounds and are much easier to design and implement.

For use in colored perovskite solar cells (PSCs), two distinct kinds of ChRFs were produced, each with a distinct cross-linking pattern (monolayer or bilayer). Since the color of the ChRFs varies depending on the angle of view, they can be utilized to make colored PSCs. As the reflective screens were created using only organic components and wet procedures, they can be used to build large and adaptable PSCs without the need for expensive suction methods.

A new EU project called "CITYSOLAR" aims to revolutionize the market for transparent solar cells for windows by combining two photovoltaic (PV) technologies in a tandem configuration. The project has received 3,779,242 EUR in support from the H2020 framework programme. Transparent solar cells for windows have been known for several years, but are still not sufficiently efficient - which is what the new project will attempt to change.

'We develop new innovative concepts within light management and solar module integration that are specifically targeted at new promising organic and hybrid thin film PV technologies, and by that we go significantly beyond state-of-the-art in terms of efficiency for transparent photovoltaics. It's a revolutionary new concept,' says Professor Aldo di Carlo, Cnr-Ism, who is coordinator of the new project and is thrilled about the support of "CITYSOLAR" from the H2020 framework.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) recently released a new roadmap for the domestic solar module industry that puts a strong focus on solar applications.

According to the document, domestic solar manufacturers and research institutes expect tandem solar cell technology based on silicon and perovskite to be the most promising candidates for PV products of the next generation. The Korean semiconductor and display industries, according to the MOTIE, may play a decisive role in this transition by providing its expertise in silicon product and thin film development.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have conducted a techno-economic analysis they claim demonstrates the importance of niche markets for bringing cutting-edge PV technologies such as perovskites to commercial maturity.

Higher-value niche markets such as the building-integrated PV (BIPV) segment and self-powered microelectronics devices may offer more room for testing new solar technologies at lower cost, say the authors of the study. The MIT team said customers in such markets are more comfortable paying a higher price for more sophisticated products. 'They'll pay a little more if your product is flexible, or if the module fits into a building envelope,' stated the study.

German university the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Würtetemburg (ZSW) and CIGS module manufacturer Nice Solar Energy have announced an ambition to design tandem PV modules based on CIGS and perovskite, which can theoretically achieve efficiencies well above 30%.

The joint 'Capitano' project will run for three years and has received more than €5 million from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The aim of the project is to develop cells with stable higher efficiencies, which can be interconnected to form efficient tandem solar modules.

Saule Technologies announced that it finished construction of the first stage of its new cleanroom. The entire working area will be around 430 m², and should be complete in a couple of weeks.

Saule Technologies aims to launch a prototype production line by Q4 2019. The production line will include a modular system of printers with an annual production capacity of 40,000 sqm. In 2020, the company aims to increase the annual production capacity to 200,00 sqm.

Saule Technologies has announced that it has reached the point of technology development to be able to print its flexible, lightweight, semi-transparent, single junction solar modules with a consistent 10% efficiency. This performance, according to the Company, already enables BIPV and IoT applications in an economically viable manner.

By the end of March, Saule Technologies has also reached as high as 17.6% efficiency at the cell level (measured by an independent research institute). The durability has been significantly improved as well, with the latest stability tests indicating multiple years of flawless operation under accelerated ageing tests.

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have demonstrated 25.5% efficiency for monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells using textured foil. In addition, the impact of texture position on performance and energy yield is simulated in their new work.

Tandem solar cell device schematics of the experimentally realized architecture and SEM cross section image of the top cell

The research team used a textured light management (LM) foil on the front-side of a tandem solar cell processed on a wafer with planar front-side and textured back-side. Consequently, the PCE of monolithic, 2-terminal perovskite/silicon-heterojunction tandem solar cells was improved from 23.4% to 25.5%. This approach replaced the use of textured silicon wafers, that can be utilized for light management but are typically not compatible with perovskite solution processing.

imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub, recently presented an impressive thin-film tandem solar cell at the EU PVSEC conference. The cell consists of a top perovskite cell developed by imec within the partnerships of EnergyVille and Solliance, and a bottom CIGS cell from the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW, Stuttgart, Germany). The tandem cell resulting from this collaboration achieves a record efficiency of 24.6%.

The perovskite top cell in the tandem uses light in the visible part of the solar spectrum, while the light in the near-IR spectrum that passes through the perovskite cell is harvested by the underlying CIGS cell. In this way, the tandem cell significantly outperforms the stand-alone perovskite and CIGS cells. Moreover, both perovskite and CIGS cells are thin-film solar cells, paving the way to high efficiency flexible solar cells and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions.

Saule Technologies, Poland-based developer of perovskite solar cells ink-jet printed on thin foil, has issued an open call for companies interested in licence agreements for BIPV applications in Middle Eastern countries. This follows Saule's recent announcement of the first commercial contract in BIPV with Norwegian construction company Skanska.

Saule Technologies offers flexible licence-based cooperation opportunities for companies active in the Middle East, available for entities interested in the development, distribution and integration of Saule's solar cells in BIPV applications. The subject of the licence is an opaque PV product with very high energy conversion efficiency which can be easily integrated with building facades, and an efficient, translucent perovskite cell in any color (so-called "solar window"). Conditional licence (Exclusive Licence and Non-Exclusive Licence) for the use of any future product can be granted for a chosen country or group of countries not covered by the licence agreement with another entity.