PFI-TT: Next-generation hybrid solar cells enabling lower cost, safe, and environmentally friendly floating photovoltaic installations

PFI-TT：下一代混合太阳能电池可实现成本更低、安全且环保的浮动光伏装置

• 批准号: 2141122
• 负责人: Robert Opila
• 金额: $ 24.81万
• 依托单位: University of Delaware
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2141122&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; TT; Next; generation; hybrid

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to enable solar cell use on water rather than just on land. The growth of solar photovoltaic energy has highlighted the increasing problem of competing land use, scarcity, and cost. Floating photovoltaics have emerged as a solution to this problem; deploying solar modules on existing bodies of water lessens the need for land-based installations. However, the high cost has inhibited growth of this renewable energy source. This project advances a new system that is lighter and cheaper. Furthermore, the modules are fabricated with non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials, mitigating the risk posed by other novel photovoltaic technologies of contaminating the bodies of water. The proposed project advances lower cost lightweight alternatives for solar photovoltaic generation. This hybrid photovoltaic technology combines innovative polymer science with silicon, the most abundant and significant photovoltaic material in use today, to provide cheaper, lighter, and more efficient flexible modules. Recent computer model simulations indicate that the proposed polymer deposition method (oxidative chemical vapor deposition) generates high conductivity and when coupled with an optimized surface treatment of silicon, the power efficiencies can exceed 20%. Furthermore, this hybrid approach allows the polymer to mechanically support the brittle silicon substrate, enabling the fabrication of flexible modules (to address wind load) encapsulated by plastic films rather than glass panels. This project validates the high efficiency, mechanical robustness, and durability under accelerated degradation conditions of the hybrid photovoltaic technology and creates a prototype for testing in a relevant environment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该创新合作伙伴关系 - 技术转化 (PFI-TT) 项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是使太阳能电池能够在水上而不仅仅是在陆地上使用。太阳能光伏能源的增长凸显了日益严重的土地利用竞争、稀缺性和成本问题。浮动光伏发电的出现就是为了解决这个问题。在现有水域部署太阳能组件可以减少对陆上安装的需求。然而，高昂的成本抑制了这种可再生能源的增长。 该项目提出了一种更轻、更便宜的新系统。此外，这些模块采用无毒环保材料制成，减轻了其他新型光伏技术污染水体的风险。拟议的项目提出了太阳能光伏发电的低成本轻质替代方案。这种混合光伏技术将创新的聚合物科学与当今使用的最丰富、最重要的光伏材料硅相结合，提供更便宜、更轻、更高效的柔性模块。最近的计算机模型模拟表明，所提出的聚合物沉积方法（氧化化学气相沉积）可产生高电导率，并且当与优化的硅表面处理相结合时，功率效率可超过 20%。此外，这种混合方法允许聚合物以机械方式支撑脆性硅基板，从而能够制造由塑料薄膜而不是玻璃面板封装的柔性模块（以解决风荷载）。该项目验证了混合光伏技术在加速退化条件下的高效率、机械鲁棒性和耐用性，并创建了在相关环境中进行测试的原型。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的评估进行评估，认为值得支持。智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。