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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是加速太阳能在美国的部署。这项技术有可能使太阳能电池板的效率提高16%，并使成本降低10%。这使得太阳能发电在美国大部分地区变得更加经济可行。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以增加14000太瓦时的太阳能产量，并减少60亿吨电力部门的碳排放。这个小型企业创新研究（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，一种宽禁带无机钙钛矿，以及一种高效的量子切割近红外发射器，一种镱掺杂剂。使用快速气相沉积工艺将该材料应用于现有的太阳能电池板组件，以创建插入式替代品，避免改变电池板的生产过程。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，从而提高了面板的整体效率。该项目将通过构建太阳能组件、测量功率性能改进以及通过环境压力测试确认设备固有稳定性来确认该技术在太阳能应用方面的可行性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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.