Research News
Working groups from the Helmholtz Centre Berlin have improved the efficiency of solar cells. Photo: HZB
Further Information:
Solar Thermal:
First solar thermal power plant in Southeast Asia is fully operational
Solar Cell Technology:
Photochemical Turbo Power for Solar Cells
Back-contact heterojunction solar cell by HZB and ISFH achieves record efficiency
Solar Energy Advances
In the past few weeks, Helmholtz centres have announced concrete technical advances in the fields of solar thermal energy and photovoltaics. The degree of efficiency as regards silicon and CIS solar cells could be increased. Now, a Helmholtz Energy Alliance significantly strengthens the research for innovative combinations of materials in the production of solar cells.
In January, the first solar thermal power station was put into operation in Southeast Asia, with an output to the grid of five megawatt. This is the first parabolic trough power plant to generate the steam for driving the turbines directly within the parabolic troughs. Researchers from the DLR were involved in developing the facility and in its overall conception.
Silicon Solar Cell Turbo Power
Scientists from the University of Sydney and the Helmholtz Centre Berlin have developed and run laboratory tests on a kind of "solar cell turbo" in order to utilise light in a more efficient manner: Two low-energy photons, which normally have no effect within the solar cell, are merged to form one high-energy photon, which then can contribute towards generating energy. This merging is effected by the application of organic molecules. "We are thus the first to demonstrate an efficiency gain in a solar cell by photochemical upconversion", says project head Dr Klaus Lips from the HZB Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics. Further research in this direction may render it possible to exceed the 30 per cent maximum efficiency limit of silicon solar cells.
New Solar Cell Architectures
The "back-contact heterojunction solar cell" developed at the HZB achieves 20.2 per cent efficiency. In 2011, the maximum efficiency rate was only 15 to 16 per cent. This novel type of solar cell was likewise conceived at the HZB Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics.
CIS Modules More Environmentally Friendly
Using the ILGAR process, that was developed at the HZB, scientists from the HZB Institute for "Heterogeneous Materials Systems" produce CIS thin film solar cells without having to use the heavy metal cadmium. They achieved very good rates of efficiency of about 16 per cent.
Energy Alliance Hybrid Solar Cells
The research on hybrid solar cells combining inorganic and organic materials is funded with five million Euro per annum for a period of three years in the context of a Helmholtz Energy Alliance. The partners involved in the alliance include the Helmholtz centres HZB and Research Centre Jülich, the Humboldt University Berlin, the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Potsdam. The Competence Centre Thin-Film- and Nanotechnology for Photovoltaics Berlin PVcomB is an associate partner in the alliance.
