International summer school Quantsol conveys basics of photovoltaics and solar energy conversion
For the sixth year in a row, future solar researchers are invited to attend the HZB’s International Summer School on Photovoltaics and New Concepts of Quantum Solar Energy Conversion – Quantsol. The summer school program is scheduled for September 8th through the 15th in Hirschegg, Austria, and has been organized jointly by the Helmholtz Centre Berlin and Ilmenau Technical University. All interested parties are welcome to apply before May 26, 2013.
“Over the last few years, Quantsol has established itself as a definite must for future solar researchers,” says HZB’s Prof. Dr. Klaus Lips. “The program’s intended audi-ence includes master's students in their last year of study, Ph.D. students, and post-docs and is an excellent introduction to pertinent photovoltaic topics.”
Experts from leading international research institutes and universities will be presenting the processes underlying the conversion of solar energy into chemical and electrical energy. At the same time, they are also addressing their technical application potential. Yet another focus is on different types of materials for photovoltaics. The researchers will also be presenting special analytic tools for characterizing solar cells and discuss them in-depth with participants.
All who are interested are encouraged to register for the Quantsol summer school program no later than May 26, 2013. Additional information about the program and the registration process can be found on the school's homepage.
- BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degradeSolid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.
- From waste to value: The right electrolytes can enhance glycerol oxidationWhen biomass is converted into biodiesel, huge amounts of glycerol are produced as a by-product. So far, however, this by-product has been little utilised, even though it could be processed into more valuable chemicals through oxidation in photoelectrochemical reactors. The reason for this: low efficiency and selectivity. A team led by Dr Marco Favaro from the Institute for Solar Fuels at HZB has now investigated the influence of electrolytes on the efficiency of the glycerol oxidation reaction. The results can help to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.
- HySPRINT Photovoltaics Lab inauguratedAfter around four years of renovation, photovoltaics research groups moved into their offices in Kekuléstraße on 20 June 2024. With the reopening, the building has also been given a new name that makes the research more visible: it is now called HySPRINT Photovoltaics Lab.