Imec & Solliance’s perovskite photovoltaic modules reach 12.4% efficiency
Perovskite microcrystals are a promising material – an alternative to monocrystaline silicon, amorphous silicon or other technologies – to make high-yielding thin-film solar cells. They can be processed into thin, light-weight, semitransparent modules that could eventually be integrated in building materials such as windows or curved construction elements. Imec and Solliance focus on using scalable, industrial processes towards the fabrication of large-area modules, eventually suitable for seamless integration in customized PV systems.
The module efficiency in this report was measured under long-term maximum power point (MPP) tracking, showing exceptional stability. At Solliance, this perovskite technology is developed with industrially-applicable processes and with a view towards a rapid market introduction of this promising source of renewable energy.
The modules were made at imec using an advanced recipe for the active layer and a process that achieves a very high aperture area efficiency in combination with a high operational device stability. In the current design, eight cells are connected in series by using a low area loss interconnection technology based on laser and mechanical patterning. Due to this optimization, about 90% of the designated illumination area of 16 cm² contributes to the energy generation. Device stability and performance is represented by the 12.4% power conversion efficiency under more than ten minutes maximum power point tracking as certified by Fraunhofer ISE.
“This breakthrough achievement confirms that we are able to steadily improve the conversion efficiency of perovskite solar modules,” commented Tom Aernouts, Solliance program manager and group leader for thin-film photovoltaics at imec. “In a few years time, we have made rapid progress not only on conversion efficiencies for single cells but are now also consolidating this at module level for this type of thin-film photovoltaics. Looking ahead, within Solliance we’ve set an aggressive roadmap for larger-area low cost processing and long-term stability that will advance this technology beyond the lab.”
Imec develops its industrial R&D platform for perovskite modules in the framework of Solliance, a cross-border Dutch-German-Flemish thin-film photovoltaics research initiative, conducting advanced research on the development of perovskite-based PV modules and its applications, with industrial partners Solartek, Dyesol and Panasonic.
Imec; www.imec.be
next page; more on Solliance…
Solliance is a partnership of R&D organizations from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany working in thin film photovoltaic solar energy (TFPV). In order to strengthen the region’s position as a world player in PV, Solliance is creating the required synergy by consolidating and coordinating the activities of 250 researchers in industry, at research institutes and universities.
Various state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot production lines are jointly used for dedicated research programs which are executed in close cooperation with the solar business community.
Solliance partners are: ECN, imec, TNO, Holst Centre, TU/e, Forschungszentrum Jülich, University Hasselt and Delft University of Technology.
Solliance offers participation in its research programs and opens up its lab facilities to new entrants, either from industry or in research. On the basis of clear Intellectual Property (IP) agreements, each industrial partner can participate in this research effort, or alternatively, hire equipment and experts to further develop its own technology.
Dyesol is a global leader in the development and commercialisation of Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) technology – 3rd Generation photovoltaic technology that can be applied to glass, metal, polymers or cement. Dyesol manufactures and supplies high performance materials and is focussed on the successful commercialisation of PSC photovoltaics. It is a publicly listed company: Australian Securities Exchange ASX (DYE) and German Open Market (D5I).
Solartek Ltd. is a company registered in Russian Federation and located at Troitsk, Moscow. Solartek is an industrial partner of the Solliance. Six venture-building Nanotechnology Centers are investing Solartek as the joint company which playing the role of the business incubator and IP-box in photovoltaics. Solartek is creating different types of business – from small scale PV-FABs to BIPV-product companies. In the framework of Solliance perovskite-PV and CIGS-PV research activities Solartek is developing and supplying the samples of advanced PV materials (CNT-based conductive films) for conducting tests, aimed on cutting the production costs of PV products.
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