Financial - Page 15

Researchers from Arizona State University's Fulton Schools of Engineering have calculated that a 32% efficient perovskite-silicon tandem cell could produce electricity at the same price as cutting-edge 22% efficient panels in the most cost-competitive of situations.

The paper specifies: '…a large cost benefit will not necessarily be needed to prefer tandem systems over single-junction systems, because higher efficiencies bring additional perceived benefits such as reduced installation area. It is, however, necessary that the path leading to such a tandem be continuously profitable.'

The European Commission has established a new research training network, led by the University of Bath, to make perovskites "truly exploitable" and make perovskite-based devices commercially viable. The new program, called MAESTRO, has been given €4 million in funding and has begun hiring researchers to gain new knowledge and provide innovation in the exploitation of perovskite materials.

A trans-European project, MAESTRO is an inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary network of 10 academic and seven industrial partners from nine EU and EU-Associated countries: the UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Israel and Switzerland.

Oxford PV has announced it has secured a further £8.02 Million (around $11.2 USD) in funding from its existing investors including Statoil and Legal & General Capital, to continue the commercialization of perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell technology.

The funding will enable Oxford PV to continue to transfer its advanced perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell technology from the company's lab in Oxford, UK to industrial scale processes and equipment at the company's demonstration line in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. Oxford PV is working to fully optimize its commercial sized perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell technology, to ensure ease of integration into large scale silicon solar cell and module production. The company is closely collaborating with its development partner ' a major manufacturer of silicon solar cells and modules.

Imec, the leading research hub focused on nanoelectronics, energy and digital technologies and partner in EnergyVille, has been named the coordinator of an ambitious 3-year European Union (EU) funded project called "ESPResSo" (Efficient Structures and Processes for Reliable Perovskite Solar Modules), that gathers known leaders in the field of perovskite PV technology to revolutionize Europe's photovoltaics (PV) industry.

The ESPResSo consortium has been granted over 5 Million by the European Union to overcome the limitations of today's state-of-the-art perovskite PV technology, bring perovskite solar cells to the next maturity level, and demonstrate their practical application.

Greatcell Solar has been awarded €500,000 in a European Union Horizon 2020 project known as H2020-SGA-FET-GRAPHENE. The grant to Greatcell's application has occurred through its 100% Italian subsidiary, Greatcell Solar Italy, located in Rome.

The H2020 project is for the innovative development and the installation of a Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) 10m² array in the Greek island of Crete and aligns closely with Greatcell's existing technology development plan. Much of the work involved will investigate advanced technology for higher efficiencies, longer life and improved encapsulation of PSC enabled glass substrates, investigating in particular the usage of Graphene in PSC solar cells.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved a priority program to carry out research into perovskite solar cells ' co-ordinated by the Konstanz physicist Professor Lukas Schmidt-Mende, which will receive €2.3 million a year in funding. The DFG has established the program ' 'Perovskite semiconductors: from fundamental properties to devices' ' to carry out the basic research into perovskite semiconductors.

Universities from across Germany, the UK, and Switzerland will collaborate on the project, meaning that it will be one of the largest joint research projects in Europe in the area of perovskite semiconductor research.

A Monash University-led project, aimed at making it easier, cheaper and more efficient to capture solar energy through building windows and walls, has recently been awarded funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

Associate Professor Jacek Jasieniak, Director of the Monash Energy Materials and Systems Institute, will receive 0.75 million Australian dollars (almost $0.6 million USD) to develop highly efficient and extremely thin perovskites-based solar cells.

Oxford Photovoltaics Germany, a subsidiary of Oxford PV, has received funding of €15 million form the European Investment Bank (EIB), to support the commercialization of its perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell technology.

The funding is the first in Germany under InnovFin - EU Finance for Innovators' Energy Demonstrator Projects. It relies on the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2010 Financial Instruments, aimed at supporting European innovators such as Oxford PV, tackling tomorrow's challenges and supporting climate action.

Greatcell Solar has announced that it has finalized and signed a funding agreement with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for a 6 million AUD (around $4.5 million USD) grant under the Advancing Renewables Program (ARP). The grant will assist in developing a world-class prototype facility in Australia for the fabrication of high quality, large area, current generation and next generation perovskite devices, an essential prerequisite to large scale manufacture.

The grant will assist Greatcell to accelerate its scale-up and prototyping activities that are critical to its commercialization objectives, and is said to clearly demonstrate the importance of ARENA in supporting the development of renewable energy technology in Australia.

In July 2017, Greatcell Solar (formerly Dyesol) announced a plan to raise $5 million AUD (almost $4 million USD) in a share purchase plan. Now, Greatcell announced that it has executed a subscription agreement for a strategic investment of $4 million from an Australian food, water and energy fund. The fund has strongly indicated its interest to maintain its percentage shareholding and, where possible, increase it over time as Greatcell transitions from R&D to global mass manufacture.

The funds will be used to expedite plans to develop Greatcell's prototype facility at CSIRO at Clayton, Victoria and to immediately commence procurement of long lead-time capital equipment required for the prototype facility. These activities are critical and will allow Greatcell to advance technology development and move forward with its Commercialization Schedule relating to glass substrate Perovskite Solar Cells.