CIGS Thin-film Solar Modules: HZB invites for workshop
Global demand for photovoltaic systems is rising sharply. CIGS thin-film modules have become a hot topic for the solar industry. International experts will convene in Stuttgart on May 30, 2017, at the annual IW-CIGSTech workshop to discuss past and potential future technical and industrial advances in this solar technology. The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) are hosting the eighth installment of this workshop, which caters to scientists, engineers and industry specialists.
The workshop takes place on May 30, 2017 in Stuttgart. The agenda and registration form are posted at www.iw-cigstech.org.
This year's gathering will take place in the ZSW institute's new building in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Its timing is opportune: After the workshop, participants can conveniently head over to Munich for the Intersolar Europe expo, which opens on the following day.
Solar power systems with 75 gigawatts capacity were installed world-wide in 2016. That is an increase of 50 percent over the previous year's figure. Analysts expect the global market to grow by around 100 gigawatts annually in the years ahead. These are exciting times indeed for the photovoltaics sector. Remarkable strides have been made, especially with thin-film technology featuring a semiconductor made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS). Efficiency is rising fast, and manufacturing costs are dropping. CIGS technology has now attained a level of maturity that merits large investments, and major module and equipment manufacturers are stepping up their funding for projects in this field.
Expertise in the latest tech
IW-CIGSTech, an annual fixture on the solar calendar since 2010, is one of the leading international workshops devoted to CIGS thin-film technology. Speakers from the industry's banner companies and re-nowned scientists have agreed to appear at this year's event. An all-day affair, it offers an intriguing mix of topics at the crossroads of science, engineering and industrial applications. On the agenda are lectures, discussions and poster presentations. In the evening, attendees can network with their peers at a meet-and-greet in the new ZSW premises.
Offers for industry at HZB
HZB will strengthen the technology transfer in the field of energy materials and offers a variety of co-operative R&D projects with academia and industry. For this, HZB operates the CoreLabs PVcomB (competence center for photovoltaics Berlin) and HYSPRINT.
- HZB congratulates Peter Hegemann on winning the Nobel PrizeOur warmest congratulations go to Peter Hegemann, Professor of Neuroscience and Experimental Biophysics at Humboldt University in Berlin. Together with Prof. Georg Nagel (Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg) and Prof. Karl Deisseroth (Stanford University, USA), he has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. We are delighted for him, his team, Humboldt University and the entire Berlin scientific community.
- Science in Berlin: collaborative, diverse, innovative, internationalScience is a key social and economic factor for Berlin. It creates jobs and adds value, attracts talent from all over the world, and enriches city life. To ensure that Berlin remains one of the world’s leading centres of science in the future, science must feature even more prominently on the political agenda. This is what BR50 stands for: over 50 non-university research institutions, including the HZB, are joining forces in this network. Following the election in Berlin, BR50 is now addressing politicians with a position paper, accompanied by the campaign “𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳ü𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻.”
- Does African Architecture exist?The world’s first Pan-African Architecture Biennale took place this September in Nairobi, Kenya. People from the worlds of architecture, art, academia and politics from 54 African countries and the diaspora had travelled to Nairobi to exchange ideas on traditional and contemporary building methods, materials, experiences and projects. Samira Aden co-organised this biennial as lead curator. We spoke to her about it.