SUPERGEN Photovoltaic Materials for the 21st Century

SUPERGEN 21世纪光伏材料

基本信息

批准号：
EP/F029624/2
负责人：
Ken Durose
金额：
$ 230.21万
依托单位：
University of Liverpool
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2011 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FF029624%2F2
关键词：
SUPERGEN Photovoltaic Materials 21st Century

项目摘要

PV-21 is the UK's inorganic solar photovoltaic (PV) research programme / this proposal is for a renewal for the second four year cycle. The Consortium has sharpened its focus on the science that will deliver our medium to long term goal of 'making a major contribution to achieving competitive PV solar energy'. In its initial period of activity, the Consortium has put in place lab-scale facilities for making three main types of solar cells based on thin film absorbers - copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride and ultra thin silicon - using a range of methods. In the renewal programme, these three 'Technology Platforms' form the basis for testing new processes and concepts. To reduce costs, we shall concentrate on critical materials and PV device issues. For large-scale PV manufacture, the materials costs dominate, and together with module efficiency determine the cost per kW peak. A closely related issue is sustainability. For example the metal indium is a key component in PV, but is rare and expensive ($660/kg in 2007). Reducing the thickness of semiconductor by one millionth of a metre (1 micron) in 10% efficient cells with a peak generating capacity of 1GW would save 50 tonnes of material. The renewal programme therefore includes work on both thickness reduction and on finding alternative sustainable low cost materials (absorbers and transparent conductors). To increase efficiency we shall work on aspects of grain boundaries and nanostructures thin films as well as on doping. Nanostructures will also be exploited to harvest more light, and surface sensitization of thin film silicon cells by energy transfer from fluorescent dyes will also be investigated as a means of making better use of sunlight and substantially reducing the required film thickness to as low 0.2 microns. In order to ensure a focus on cost effectiveness, the renewal programme includes a technical economics package that will examine cost and sustainability issues. Future links between innovative concepts and industry are ensured by a 'producibility' work package. Two highly relevant 'plus' packages have been submitted alongside the renewal proposal, these being on a) thin film silicon devices, grain engineering and new concepts, and b) new absorber materials. The Consortium will also continue to run the successful UK network for PV materials and device research, PV-NET, which is a forum for the UK academic and industrial research communities. The Supergen funding mechanism has enabled the Consortium to assemble and fully integrate a critical mass of PV researchers in the UK, and the work packages outlined in the proposal interweave the skills and capabilities of seven universities and nine industrial partners. PV-21 is also plays an important role in skills development, with nine PhD students due to be trained in the first cohort. The EPSRC Supergen funding mechanism is absolutely vital for the continued growth and strength of the UK PV materials research effort.

PV-21 是英国的无机太阳能光伏 (PV) 研究计划/该提案将延续第二个四年周期。该联盟更加注重科学，这将实现我们“为实现具有竞争力的光伏太阳能做出重大贡献”的中长期目标。在其活动初期，该联盟已经建立了实验室规模的设施，使用一系列方法制造基于薄膜吸收体的三种主要类型的太阳能电池——二硒化铜铟、碲化镉和超薄硅。在更新计划中，这三个“技术平台”构成了测试新流程和概念的基础。为了降低成本，我们将重点关注关键材料和光伏器件问题。对于大规模光伏制造，材料成本占主导地位，并且与组件效率一起决定每千瓦峰值的成本。一个密切相关的问题是可持续性。例如，金属铟是光伏发电的关键成分，但其稀有且昂贵（2007 年为 660 美元/公斤）。将峰值发电量为 1GW、效率为 10% 的电池中的半导体厚度减少百万分之一米（1 微米），可节省 50 吨材料。因此，更新计划包括减少厚度和寻找替代可持续低成本材料（吸收器和透明导体）的工作。为了提高效率，我们将致力于晶界和纳米结构薄膜以及掺杂方面的工作。还将利用纳米结构来收集更多的光，并且还将研究通过荧光染料的能量转移对薄膜硅电池进行表面敏化，作为更好地利用阳光并将所需薄膜厚度大幅降低至 0.2 微米的一种手段。为了确保关注成本效益，更新计划包括一个技术经济方案，将审查成本和可持续性问题。 “可生产性”工作包确保了创新概念与行业之间的未来联系。与更新提案一起提交的还有两个高度相关的“附加”包，它们分别涉及 a) 薄膜硅器件、晶粒工程和新概念，以及 b) 新吸收材料。该联盟还将继续运营英国成功的光伏材料和器件研究网络PV-NET，该网络是英国学术和工业研究界的论坛。 Supergen 资助机制使该联盟能够聚集并充分整合英国关键数量的光伏研究人员，提案中概述的工作包将七所大学和九个工业合作伙伴的技能和能力交织在一起。 PV-21 在技能发展方面也发挥着重要作用，第一批将有 9 名博士生接受培训。 EPSRC Supergen 资助机制对于英国光伏材料研究工作的持续增长和实力至关重要。