Energy Materials Corporation to help scale-up creation of perovskite solar PV panels

• Energy Materials Corporation reports that the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office has chosen EMC to progress perovskite photovoltaic module development and research.

The Energy Department's choice supports EMC's continuing scale-up of high efficiency and stable perovskite solar panel modules. Leveraging present pilot scale production facilities in the Eastman Business Park at Rochester, N.Y., the project will demonstrate high speed printing of whole perovskite devices on paper-thin flexible glass, including the transparent conductor layers which are traditionally achieved by expensive vacuum deposition methods. Finally, EMC will manufacture entire BackbonePV(TM) perovskite panels at high speed, roll-to-roll manufacturing lines.

Unlocking the potential of solar power to turn into a relevant part of international energy production calls for a brand new production technology for solar panels which is sustainable and scalable, said Dr. Stephan DeLuca, EMC Chief Executive Officer.

EMC's high speed printing process can lower the cost of constructing solar panel factories by 95%, and lower the selling price of high efficiency modules by 50%. At these disruptive cost points, their gigawatt scale factories could be quickly replicated in the U.S. and across the world to fulfill local demand when supporting the industry's decision to reach unsubsidized $0.02 kWh solar power.

EMC was chosen as part of the Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2019 financing plan, an attempt to invest in new projects which will lower solar energy costs, while working to improve solar energy production, reduce red tape, also make solar panels much more resilient to cyberattack.

EMC is one of several photovoltaics research projects which will concentrate on enhancing the performance and reliability of PV cells, modules, and systems and decreasing processing and materials expenses.