Meyer Burger Ropes In Partners For Scaling Up Perovskite Tandem Technology

• Operating in consortium with CSEM, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Fraunhofer ISE, as well as the University of Stuttgart, Meyer Burger is looking into tandem solar cells and developing next-generation solar modules
• These activities center around the automation of the new technologies, or large scale production of solar cells with efficiencies of more than 30 percent

Thun, Switzerland based solar cell as well as module producer Meyer Burger Technology AG has actually generated partners and authorized matching multi-year teamwork arrangements. Together with CSEM from Switzerland, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg, as well as the Institute of Photovoltaics at the University of Stuttgart, the business is dealing with the industrialization of perovskite tandem technology, which is expected to allow the commercial manufacturing of solar cells with effectiveness over of 30 percent in the future.

The development of these new production technologies is to be utilized exclusively for Meyer Burger's very own manufacturing. The objective is to attain a substantial additional rise in the energy yield of industrial solar modules. Meyer Burger has just recently transitioned from being a devices and technology supplier to a maker itself of solar modules and cells.

" With a long tradition of proprietary advancement, Meyer Burger has a comprehensive portfolio of procedures, technologies, as well as production techniques at its disposal for the potential mass production of tandem solar cells as well as modules in-house," says Marcel König, Head of Research and Development at Meyer Burger. "This consists of the vital production processes and equipment for silicon-based perovskite tandem solar cells, as well as equivalent solar modules with Meyer Burger's proprietary SmartWire connection technology. In conjunction with the abilities of our academic partners, this is a unique recipe for success."

The work with the new consortium is based upon existing cooperations for the growth of heterojunction silicon solar cells. In the past, Meyer Burger currently entered into collaborations to research perovskite technology, including with Oxford PV, and has for that reason already established its very own exclusive technical solutions. Perovskite technology stands for a key milestone on Meyer Burger's innovation roadmap.

CSEM and also Meyer Burger have actually achieved a document effectiveness of 29.6 percent for a 25-square-centimeter perovskite tandem solar cell. To achieve this, the Swiss scientists incorporated heterojunction silicon cells with perovskite structures. "This impressive result shows the capacity of silicon perovskite tandem cells to accomplish high efficiencies. Although we still have a great deal of work ahead of us, the automation of solar cells with a performance of over 30 percent gets on the appropriate track," says Professor Christophe Ballif, Director Sustainable Energy at CSEM.

HZB has attained record, world-leading performances over of 31 percent for laboratory tandem solar cells in mix with heterojunction and perovskite. "By manufacturing in Europe, Meyer Burger creates premium work while making use of technologies created in Europe," claims Professor Rutger Schlatmann, director of the Competence Center Photovoltaics Berlin PVcomB at HZB.

The success of perovskite/silicon tandem technology is very based on the presence of a secure commercial manufacturing process and also modules that supply a high level of dependability. "The purpose is for perovskite/silicon modules to meet the high criteria of integrity and also longevity set by classical silicon PV technology," states Professor Andreas Bett, director of Fraunhofer ISE. "To this end, Fraunhofer ISE will certainly serve as a dedicated partner as part of the collaboration with Meyer Burger, leveraging its enduring expertise in the upscaling of PV production processes as well as the production and qualification of modules."

The Institute for Photovoltaics at the University of Stuttgart is accomplishing extensive research into the residential properties of the new products for the new solar cell technology. Perovskites are a new class of semiconductors that send out and soak up light across the entire visible as well as infrared range. They are comprised of low-cost, bountiful individual elements.