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.

美国国家科学基金会可持续能源途径（SEP）项目隶属于美国国家科学基金会可持续发展科学、工程和教育（SEES）倡议，将支持托莱多大学阎彦发教授及其同事的研究项目。该研究团队由物理学、材料科学、工程学、化学、社会经济学、环境科学和教育领域的专家组成。该项目的目标是开发概念、材料和工艺，以经济地生产环境友好型薄膜太阳能电池，这些材料包括FeS2、Cu2S、CuO、Zn3P2和Cu2ZnSnS4 （CZTS）等地球丰富的环境友好型（EAEB）材料。为了实现高效率的EAEB太阳能电池，研究小组提出了两个新概念：(1)具有低载流子迁移率和低结构稳定性的EAEB无机材料（例如FeS2， Cu2S和CuO）的体同结和(2)杂homo双结（HHDJ）用于Zn3P2和czts薄膜太阳能电池。本体同质结概念将通过组装纳米晶体（nc）来实现，纳米晶体表面将被精心设计成包含富阳离子域。组装后，nc将形成一个三维互连的电子和空穴通道网络，由于同质结拓扑结构，可以促进电荷分离和转移，并以最小的效率抢劫重组。HHDJ将通过使用专用的物理气相沉积系统对结化学进行精确控制，并进行现场监测，包括实时电子冲击发射光谱和实时光谱椭偏仪。HHDJ概念结合了异质结和同质结的优点：同质结最大限度地减少了破坏效率的重组，而异质结增强了电荷分离和转移，从而实现了最佳的太阳能电池性能。研究小组将通过生命周期工具，同时开发生命周期成本（LCC），环境生命周期评估（LCA）和社会生命周期评估（SLCA），开发和分析我们的新太阳能电池系统和制造过程的可持续性，以创建一个全面的生命周期可持续性评估（LCSA）。为了实施LCSA，将采用一种新的动态方法，通过迭代地对不同的情景进行建模，以确定参数之间的具体相互作用，并最终确定最可持续的情景。为了解决教育/劳动力发展问题，研究团队将针对各级学生的关键教育目标。研究团队还将采用综合方法，来自不同背景和专业领域的学生将共同努力解决复杂的现实世界问题。这种方法将进一步加强协同作用，拓宽教育目标，并建立真正的团队理念。该项目将产生至少两项科学影响：(1)对基础科学和工程问题的透彻理解，这些问题对于使用无毒和地球丰富的材料实现可持续太阳能途径至关重要；(2)为设计经济、环境和社会可持续的可再生能源，特别是太阳能发电途径提供新的科学和教育范例。该项目在材料开发和工程技术开发中直接结合社会和行业需求，应成为可再生能源新技术可持续发展的转型典范。

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