Solar Innovations on the Forum

On November 30, PV magazine publishing house participated in the European Solar Technologies Forum, where researchers presented innovations in the entire photovoltaics sector, which caused a lot of discussion about the future of solar energy in terms of available technologies and its application.



The forum was held at the BESSY II synchrotron in Berlin, where the results of observations made by the giant particle accelerator were also clearly shown.







The main focus of the event was the closure of the project CHEETAH - a four-year research project funded by the EU, which aims to develop new products and their applications for solar energy, as well as industrial innovations.

“After four years of solar research, we are pleased to present our solutions that can reduce costs and increase efficiency,” said Jan Kroon, Project Coordinator for CHEETAH. “We hope that these technologies will be able to promote innovative production and facilitate the commercialization of new solar projects in Europe,” he continued.

The loudest statement occurred in the field of crystalline silicon production, where the researchers of CHEETAH presented a study that outlines the possibilities for further reducing costs by 20% in production through the use of thinner plates. Researchers have developed an epitaxial fabrication process that would allow the production of plates with a thickness of less than 100 microns without waste.



Innovations in thin-film photovoltaics were also presented, where researchers demonstrated methods to further reduce material costs in CIGS modules, and in organic photovoltaics, where cheaper solutions for “cell packaging” were demonstrated.

“One of the most effective ways to implement more solar projects is to use the most innovative technologies,” continues Croon (ECN). "The CHEETAH group has established a base for long-term European cooperation in the photovoltaic research and development sector in order to bring the European solar industry to the cutting-edge level."