SBIR Phase I: Quantum cutting downconversion layers for improved solar PV performance

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是加速美国太阳能的部署。该技术可以使太阳能电池板的效率提高16%，成本降低10%。这使得太阳能发电在美国大部分地区可能变得更加经济可行。这项技术可以服务于现有的110吉瓦太阳能电池板市场。该技术的全球商业化可使太阳能发电量增加14，000太瓦时，并减少电力部门的碳排放量60亿吨。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目开发了一种光转换材料，该材料结合了光吸收材料、宽带隙无机钙钛矿和高效的量子切割近红外发射体（一种镱掺杂剂）。该材料使用快速气相沉积工艺应用于现有的太阳能电池板组件，以创建直接替代品，避免改变电池板生产工艺。 传统的硅太阳能电池板很难将紫外线转化为电能，产生大量的废热并使电池板退化。 这里开发的光转换材料利用了传统上浪费的光，从而提高了整体面板效率。 该项目将通过构建样片太阳能模块、测量功率性能改进以及通过环境压力测试确认器件的内在稳定性来确认该技术在太阳能应用中的可行性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to accelerate the deployment of solar power in the United States. The technology can potentially make solar panels up to 16% more efficient and result in up to 10% lower costs. This enables solar power to potentially become more economically viable across larger parts of the United States. This technology can serve the existing 110 GW solar panel market. Global commercialization of the technology can increase solar energy production by 14,000 TWh and reduce carbon emissions from the power sector by 6 billion tonnes.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a light conversion material that combines a light absorber material, a wide bandgap inorganic perovskite, with a highly efficient, quantum cutting near-IR emitter, a ytterbium dopant. The material is applied to existing solar panel components using a rapid vapor deposition process to create drop-in replacements, avoiding changes to the panel production process. Traditional silicon solar panels poorly convert ultraviolet light into electricity, generating substantial waste heat and degrading panels. The light conversion materials developed here utilizes that traditionally wasted light, thereby boosting overall panel efficiencies. This project will confirm the feasibility of the technology for solar applications by building coupon solar modules, measuring power performance improvements, and confirming intrinsic device stability through environmental stress tests.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.