Photovoltaics for Emerging Energy Systems

光子电源正在成为下一代能源系统的驱动力，必须加快研发和采用，以避免气候变化的最严重影响，形成一个新的全球清洁能源经济，与更高的效率、电气化、数字化和可持续性密切相关。光伏（PV）太阳能发电现在是世界上许多地区最便宜的新型发电机，将能源行业从全球污染者转变为清洁的地方提供者。光伏创新还可以在航空航天、医疗和电信等非常不同的应用中发挥协同作用。本研究计划在两个光伏主题上寻求突破：(1)光伏材料与器件，(2)系统策略与资源评估。多功能化合物半导体（III-V）材料和器件的研究确定了多结太阳能电池，光子功率转换器和热光伏（TPV）的更好效率。对于系统而言，更好的太阳能场性能预测降低了双面系统和结构集成光伏的业务构建策略的风险，以及新型光子功率转换系统彻底改变了自由空间或光纤中的电力和数据传输。这一建议在新的方向上发展了我们的科学能力：(a)通过将用于复杂优化的人工智能（AI）技术嫁接到标准的固态物理数值引擎上，加速更好的多结III-V器件的精确设计；(b)用于光伏器件的新型超薄、纹理化多结架构；(c) PV和TPV器件的新制造和外延技术；(d)新型光伏收集和转换模式；(e)绿色的水制氢，由与电解槽电压精确匹配的太阳能电池供电。项目影响最重要的是加速加拿大和全世界向清洁能源经济过渡的项目，在减少燃料消耗、排放和浪费的活动中加快成本降低和效率提高。例如，太阳能电池板效率每提高一个百分点，就相当于整个领域和分销网络的成本相应降低，而不仅仅是电池板。在航空航天飞行器周围传输电力和数据的轻型光纤系统将取代沉重的铜电缆束，减少零件数量并简化结构。TPV装置清除工厂或推进发动机的废热，为当地发电。一个项目的特点是在许多不同的应用和市场中开发类似的材料科学和设备物理。该项目每年将培养四名博士生和两名本科生，学习前沿技术，为半导体光子学设计、制造和性能测试提供基础，应用于加拿大和全球市场的可再生能源系统、信息和通信产品和服务。

Photonic power is emerging as a driver of next-generation energy systems, where R&D and uptake must accelerate to avoid the severest impacts of climate change, forming a new global clean energy economy critically coupled to higher efficiency, electrification, digitalization, and sustainability. Photovoltaic (PV) solar power is now the least expensive new electricity generator in many regions worldwide, transforming energy industries from global polluters into clean local providers. PV innovations can also be harnessed synergistically in very different applications in aerospace, health, and telecoms. This research program seeks breakthroughs in two photovoltaic themes: (1) PV materials & devices, and (2) system strategies & resource assessments. Research on versatile compound semiconductor (III-V) materials and devices identifies better efficiencies for multijunction solar cells, photonic power converters, and thermal photovoltaics (TPV). For systems, better solar field performance forecasting de-risks business buildout strategies for bifacial systems and structure-integrated photovoltaics, and novel photonic power converter systems revolutionize power and data transmission in free space or over optical fibre. This proposal grows our science capabilities in new directions: (a) accelerating accurate design of better multijunction III-V devices by grafting artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for complex optimizations onto standard numerical engines for solid-state physics; (b) novel ultrathin, textured multijunction architectures for PV devices; (c) new fabrication and epitaxy techniques for PV and TPV devices; (d) novel models for PV collection and conversion; and (e) green hydrogen production from water, powered by solar cells matched precisely to electrolyzer voltages. Program impact is foremost to accelerate transition programs to clean energy economies in Canada and worldwide, ramping faster cost reductions and efficiency improvements in campaigns mitigating fuel consumption, emissions, and waste. For example, each percentage point improvement in solar panel efficiency is equivalent to a proportionate cost reduction of the entire field and distribution network, not just the panels. Lightweight optical fibre systems moving power and data around aerospace vehicles will replace heavy copper cable bundles, reducing parts count and simplifying builds. TPV devices scavenge waste heat from industrial plants or propulsion engines, generating local electrical power. A program hallmark is to exploit similar materials science and device physics across many different applications and markets. The program will train four PhD students and two undergraduate students per year in leading-edge technologies, providing a grounding in semiconductor photonics design, fabrication, and performance testing, applied across renewable energy systems and information and communications products and services in Canadian and global markets.