SUPERGEN Photovoltaic Materials for the 21st Century

PV-21是英国的无机太阳能光伏（PV）研究计划/该提案是第二个四年周期的更新。该联盟将重点放在科学上，这将实现我们的中长期目标，即“为实现具有竞争力的光伏太阳能做出重大贡献”。在其最初的活动期间，该联盟已经建立了实验室规模的设施，利用一系列方法制造基于薄膜吸收剂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”构成了测试新工艺和新概念的基础。为了降低成本，我们将专注于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，并与组件效率一起决定每千瓦峰值成本。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组成部分，但稀有且昂贵（2007年为660美元/公斤）。在峰值发电能力为1GW的电池中，如果将半导体厚度减少百万分之一米（1微米），效率为10%，将节省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（吸收剂和透明导体）的工作。为了提高效率，我们将在晶粒边界和纳米结构、薄膜以及掺杂方面进行研究。纳米结构也将被用于收集更多的光，并且通过荧光染料的能量转移对薄膜硅电池的表面增感也将被研究，作为更好地利用阳光的一种手段，并将所需的薄膜厚度大幅降低到0.2微米。为了确保注重成本效益，更新方案包括一套技术经济方案，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工业之间的未来联系。除了更新提案外，还提交了两个高度相关的“附加”包，它们是a)薄膜硅器件，谷物工程和新概念，以及b)新的吸收材料。该联盟还将继续成功运营英国光伏材料和器件研究网络PV- net，这是英国学术和工业研究社区的论坛。Supergen资助机制使该联盟能够在英国召集并充分整合大量的光伏研究人员，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相互结合。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。

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.