Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics
- $2.39m Funded by ARENA
- $9.15m Total project cost
Summary
The Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics project brings together leading research teams and industry partners from around the world to tackle the most important sources of efficiency loss in silicon solar cells. We will develop powerful new methods to identify these loss mechanisms, and new approaches to reduce their impact.
Key results
- Developed new methods for improving Jinko Solar’s ingots, wafers, and cells
- Demonstrated high efficiency solar cells on these materials with industrially compatible processing
- Collaborated with German Fraunhofer ISE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the USA, improving characterisation of silicon materials and solar cells.
Learn more
Report: Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics Final
This is the Final Project Report for the ANU Project, Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics – From Ingots to Modules.
Report: Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics – From Ingots to Modules
This report discusses the project results and lessons learnt to date for the ANU Project, Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics – From Ingots to Modules.
Media Release: Funding Boost for World-Leading Solar PV Research
On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA announced it has awarded $29.2 million for 20 research projects to propel the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.
Project innovation
The Driving Increased Efficiency and Reliability in Silicon Photovoltaics project will identify important sources of power loss in silicon photovoltaic technology across the entire production chain, from silicon ingot growth, through to wafers, cells and modules. New methods for detecting and eliminating defects in silicon modules will be developed, and then applied in industry, leading to more efficient and reliable photovoltaic modules. This joint project between ANU and UNSW involves world-leading institutes and companies such as Jinko Solar (China), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Research (Germany), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA), and BT Imaging (Australia).
Benefit
The project will lead to more efficient and reliable silicon photovoltaic modules in mass production, which will in turn result in lower costs for solar electricity for Australian households.
