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.
- Clean cooking fuel with a great impact for southern AfricaBurning biomass for cooking causes harmful environmental and health issues. The German-South African GreenQUEST initiative is developing a clean household fuel. It aims to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions and to improve access to energy for households in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Quantsol Summer School 2024 - Call for ApplicationRegistration for Quantsol is now open!
The International Summer School on Photovoltaics and New Concepts of Quantum Solar Energy Conversion (Quantsol) will be held in September 1-8, 2024 in Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria. The school is organised by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the Technical University of Ilmenau. Applications can be submitted through the school’s homepage until Friday 31st of May 2024, 23.59h CET.
- A simpler way to inorganic perovskite solar cellsInorganic perovskite solar cells made of CsPbI3 are stable over the long term and achieve good efficiencies. A team led by Prof. Antonio Abate has now analysed surfaces and interfaces of CsPbI3 films, produced under different conditions, at BESSY II. The results show that annealing in ambient air does not have an adverse effect on the optoelectronic properties of the semiconductor film, but actually results in fewer defects. This could further simplify the mass production of inorganic perovskite solar cells.