SEP: Earth-abundant thin-film solar cells as a sustainable solar energy pathway

九月：地球上储量丰富的薄膜太阳能电池作为可持续太阳能途径

• 批准号: 1230246
• 负责人: Yanfa Yan
• 金额: $ 190万
• 依托单位: University of Toledo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1230246&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SEP; Earth; abundant; thin; film

The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Yanfa Yan and co-workers at the University of Toledo. The highly multi-disciplinary research team consists of experts in physics, materials science, engineering, chemistry, socioeconomics, environmental science, and education. The objective of the project is to develop the concepts, materials, and processes necessary to economically produce environmentally friendly thin-film solar cells from earth-abundant, environmentally benign (EAEB) materials including FeS2, Cu2S, CuO, Zn3P2 and Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS). To achieve high efficiency EAEB solar cells, the research team proposes two new concepts: (1) a bulk homojunction for EAEB inorganic materials that have low carrier mobility and low structural stability (e.g., for FeS2, Cu2S, and CuO) and (2) a hetero-homo dual-junction (HHDJ) for Zn3P2- and CZTS-based thin-film solar cells. The bulk homojunction concept will be realized by assembling nanocrystals (NCs) with surfaces that will be carefully engineered to contain cation-rich domains. Upon assembly, the NCs will form a three-dimensional interconnected network of electron and hole channels that can facilitate charge separation and transfer with minimal efficiency-robbing recombination due to the homojunction topology. The HHDJ will be achieved by accurate control of the junction chemistry using dedicated physical vapor deposition systems with in situ monitoring, including real-time electron impact emission spectroscopy and real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry. The HHDJ concept combines the benefits of the heterojunction and the homojunction: the homojunction minimizes efficiency-robbing recombination while the heterojunction enhances the charge separation and transfer, leading to optimal solar cell performance. The research team will concomitantly develop and analyze the sustainability of our new solar cell systems and manufacturing processes through life cycle tools where life cycle costing (LCC), environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), and social life cycle assessment (SLCA) will be developed simultaneously to create a comprehensive life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). To implement LCSA, a new dynamic approach will be used whereby different scenarios will be iteratively modeled to identify the specific interactions of the parameters and, ultimately, the most sustainable scenarios. To address education/workforce development, the research team will target critical educational goals for students at all levels. The research team will also employ an integrative approach wherein students from widely varying backgrounds and fields of expertise will work together to solve complex real world problems. This approach will further reinforce synergy, broaden educational goals, and build a true team philosophy. This project will yield at least two scientific impacts: (1) a thorough understanding of the fundamental science and engineering issues that are critical for realizing a sustainable solar energy pathway using non-toxic and earth-abundant materials, and (2) new science and education paradigms for designing economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable renewable energy and, specifically, solar electricity pathways. By directly integrating the needs of society and industry in developing the materials and engineering technology, this project should serve as a transformational model for the sustainable development of new renewable energy technologies.

NSF的可持续能源道路（SEP）计划在NSF科学，可持续性工程和教育（SEES）倡议的保护下，将支持托莱多大学的扬法·扬教授和同事的研究计划。高度多学科的研究团队由物理，材料科学，工程，化学，社会经济学，环境科学和教育方面的专家组成。 该项目的目的是开发从经济友好的薄膜太阳能电池中产生的概念，材料和过程，这些太阳能电池是从含有地球的，环境良性（EAEB）材料（包括FES2，CU2S，CUO，CUO，ZN3P2和CU2ZNSNS4（CZTS））中产生的。为了达到高效率EAEB太阳能电池，研究团队提出了两个新概念：（1）EAB无机材料的批量同型，具有低载体活动性和低结构稳定性（例如FES2，CU2S和CUO）和（CUO）和（2）型型型型型（Zn3pj），细胞。 批量同义结构的概念将通过将纳米晶体（NCS）组装在一起，以仔细设计以包含阳离子富含阳离子的域。组装后，NCS将形成一个三维互连的电子和孔通道网络，该网络可以促进电荷分离和通过同型拓扑而引起的最小效率重组的转移。 HHDJ将通过使用原位监测的专用物理蒸气沉积系统准确控制结，包括实时电子撞击发射光谱和实时光谱椭圆法。 HHDJ概念结合了异质结和同义结的好处：同型结合最大程度地减少效率重组的重组，而异性结构可以增强电荷分离和转移，从而实现了最佳的太阳能电池性能。研究团队将通过生命周期成本（LCC），环境生命周期评估（LCA）和社交生命周期评估（SLCA）同时开发新的太阳能电池系统和制造过程的可持续性，并通过生命周期工具来开发和分析我们的可持续性。为了实现LCSA，将使用一种新的动态方法，在该方法中，将对不同的方案进行迭代建模，以确定参数的特定相互作用，最终是最可持续的方案。 为了解决教育/劳动力发展，研究团队将针对各级学生的关键教育目标。研究团队还将采用一种综合方法，其中来自不同背景和专业领域的学生将共同解决复杂的现实世界问题。这种方法将进一步增强协同作用，扩大教育目标并建立真正的团队哲学。该项目将至少产生两种科学影响：（1）对使用无毒和地球丰富的材料实现可持续的太阳能通道至关重要的基本科学和工程问题，以及（2）用于在经济，环境，环境和社会可持续可持续的可再生能源和特定的Solare电气的新科学和教育范式。通过将社会和行业的需求直接整合在开发材料和工程技术中，该项目应作为新的可再生能源技术可持续发展的变革型模型。

项目成果

Energy Payback Time (EPBT) and Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROI) of Perovskite Tandem Photovoltaic Solar Cells

• DOI: 10.1109/jphotov.2017.2768961
• 发表时间: 2018-01-01
• 期刊: IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
• 影响因子: 3
• 作者: Celik, Ilke;Philips, Adam B.;Apul, Defne
• 通讯作者: Apul, Defne