Solar Energy expertise

c-Si solar cell science and technology

• Crystalline Silicon Materials science (defects, recombination, passivation, doping, mechanical strength)
• Thin film technology
• Semiconductor Processing (wet chemical, furnace, coating, etc.) & modelling
• Optoelectronic device characterization & modelling
• Technology transfer, process specification, factory ramp-up
• Production line audit

PV module processing

• Materials science (lamination materials and processes, conductive adhesives and other electrical connection techniques, weather sealing, optical properties, degradation, aesthetics, recycling, design for sustainability, mass customization, lightweight)
• Power electronics, including electrical modeling, reliability and degradation
• Module manufacturing: Automation, mass-customization, bending and curving of c-Si, lamination of sensitive PV like perovskites, tandem module manufacturing
• Advanced failure analysis; destructive and non-destructive
• Module characterization: including high capacity modules and non-conventional module concepts
• Optical characterization and modeling

Applications and Integration

• Advanced modelling: algorithm development, bifacial with realistic non-uniformities, tracking, electronically complex systems, albedo in bifacial systems, etc.
• Safety research: arcing, parasitic capacity losses, hotspots, electronic behavior, etc.
• Power electronics: (dynamic) shading effects, system optimization, etc.
• Economic analysis: O&M, LCOE, cash flow, etc.
• Outdoor testing: new module concepts, system electronic response, development of advanced test systems
• Opportunities for co-use with agriculture and for increasing ecological values
• PV with utility-scale battery storage systems; PV with electrolyzer
• Project management of large multi-disciplinary R&D projects
• Coordination of national consortia