Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin successfully at international Photovoltaic Conference in Hamburg
2.500 experts on photovoltaics from all over the world met at the 31th EU PVSEC in Hamburg. © Guglielmo de' Micheli
HZB was present at the 31th EU PVSEC with oral and poster presentations and in addition with an own booth at the exibition. © HZB
Dr. Onno Gabriel and co-authors were selected from more than 1,300 submissions for the TOP 20 publication of the conference.
From 14. to 18. September more than 2.500 experts on photovoltaics from all over the world met at the 31th EU PVSEC in Hamburg to discuss the latest developments and innovations. HZB was present at the conference with oral and poster presentations and in addition with an booth at the exibition. A joint publication by the Competence Centre for Photovoltaics (PVcomB) and Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics was chosen from 1,300 contributions under the best TOP 20 of the conference.
The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) is one of the largest international conferences for photovoltaic research, technologies and applications. It is regarded as the world’s leading platform for exchanges between the worlds of photovoltaic research and industry in the global photovoltaic solar industry sector. Over 2,500 experts from 77 countries met at the 31th EU PVSEC in Hamburg. More than half of the participants had been represented by research and development specialists and about 40 percent from the segment industry and engineering. 20 researchers from HZB have participated at the conference.
A HZB joint publication from PVcomB and Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics has been rated as one of the best current work in the field of photovoltaics submitted to the Conference. Dr. Onno Gabriel and co-authors were selected from more than 1,300 submissions for the TOP 20 of the 31th EU PVSEC with their publication "Crystalline Silicon on Glass: Interface Passivation and Its Impact on the Absorber Material Quality ". The authors of the 20 highest scored abstracts of the EU PVSEC 2015 are invited to submit a paper for publication in the renowned scientific journal Progress in Photovoltaics. The special edition will be available for free download for a year, a special feature of the not open access-publishing magazine.
Gabriel and his colleagues investigate the influence of new industrial processes to produce thin crystalline silicon layers directly on glass. This preparation method is developed at HZB for several years and promises high material and energy savings. The at HZB measured efficiency of 12.1% is currently the world record for this solar cell technology.
- An elegant method for the detection of single spins using photovoltageDiamonds with certain optically active defects can be used as highly sensitive sensors or qubits for quantum computers, where the quantum information is stored in the electron spin state of these colour centres. However, the spin states have to be read out optically, which is often experimentally complex. Now, a team at HZB has developed an elegant method using a photo voltage to detect the individual and local spin states of these defects. This could lead to a much more compact design of quantum sensors.
- Solar cells on moon glass for a future base on the moonFuture settlements on the moon will need energy, which could be supplied by photovoltaics. However, launching material into space is expensive – transporting one kilogram to the moon costs one million euros. But there are also resources on the moon that can be used. A research team led by Dr. Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam and Dr. Stefan Linke of the Technical University of Berlin have now produced the required glass from ‘moon dust’ (regolith) and coated it with perovskite. This could save up to 99 percent of the weight needed to produce PV modules on the moon. The team tested the radiation tolerance of the solar cells at the proton accelerator of the HZB.
- Optical innovations for solar modules - which are the most promising?In 2023, photovoltaic systems generated more than 5% of the world’s electrical energy and the installed capacity doubles every two to three years. Optical technologies can further increase the efficiency of solar modules and open up new applications, such as coloured solar modules for facades. Now, 27 experts provide a comprehensive overview of the state of research and assess the most promising innovations. The report, which is also of interest to stakeholders in funding and science management, was coordinated by HZB scientists Prof. Christiane Becker and Dr. Klaus Jäger.