Low Cost Solution Processed CIGS Solar Cells

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor J Walls
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Loughborough University

Standard

EPSRC

01 July 2015

30 June 2017

24 months

£206,293

Energy

East Midlands

Energy : Energy

Professor J Walls, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University

Dr J Bowers, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University

The market for photovoltaic (PV) modules has grown at 35 % p.a. compound over the past 15 years and will exceed 50GW in 2014. The drivers behind this extraordinary growth include the rising cost of fossil fuels, concerns over security ofenergy supplies and worries over climate change. Governments agencies world wide, including the DECC in the UK, areencouraging the deployment of PV through incentives. However as the cost of PV reduces many important regions are nowat "grid parity" which removes the need for subsidies. At this point the market for PV is expected to rocket. This project willdevelop a new solution processed thin film photovoltaic (PV) device from a nanoparticle precursor, which offers a cheaperroute to producing PV modules. The aim of the project will be to integrate technologies developed by the project partners,to improve the efficiency of small area solar cells, then to scale the technology to mini-module dimensions, whilemaintaining a focus on reducing the cost of the process. The application of the technology to flexible substrates will also beassessed. Lower cost processing of modules will develop a lucrative business for CIGS nanoparticle inks and even greater growth of solar energy deployment

03/03/15