ADVANCED PHOTOVOLTAICS
Silicon Advanced Devices and Fabrication Technologies (PP1.3)
PP1.3 Silicon Advanced Devices and Fabrication Technologies
Aim
The aim of this work package is the development and demonstration of high efficiency silicon solar cells, building upon the development of advanced fabrication technologies and advancement in fundamental understandings of device optical and electrical properties through activities in device simulation.
Background
The cost of silicon PV modules represents ~15% in a residential installation, and ~35% in a >10MW utility scale solar farm, typical of around 90% of all solar farms in Australia. In both the residential and commercial installations, the most significant portion of a solar PV system cost lies in the soft-costs and balance of systems costs associated with the number of panels installed.
There is therefore a substantial leverage in increasing the areal power output of each silicon PV module, particularly for residential PV, which now accounts for the majority (~3-4 GW) of annual new installations in Australia. A continual decrease in $/Wp of PV modules for utility-scale applications will be driven by both an increase in device performances, and a reduction in manufacturing costs stemming from technological innovations.
The activities within this work package will address both aspects of this technological progression, through the delivery of novel advanced fabrication technologies, further development of the fundamental understandings of device opto-electrical properties, and its demonstration in high-efficiency devices, while serving as a hub for the amalgamation of novel technological breakthroughs within closely related ACAP work-packages.
Investigators: Kean Chern Fong (ANU), Andrew Blakers (ANU), Bram Hoex (UNSW), Brett Hallam(UNSW), James Bullock (UoM), Daniel Macdonald (ANU), Pheng Phang (ANU), Lachlan Black (ANU), Marco Ernst (ANU)
Expected Outcomes
This activity is expected to spearhead innovation in silicon device fabrication technologies, process advancement in emerging technologies, and the demonstration of novel device architectures, with the expectation of demonstrating multiple industrially viable device concepts over 25% efficiency and bifacial cells approaching 30% efficiency (with 20% rear albedo).
PP1.3.1 Advanced Fabrication Technologies
PP1.3.3 Advanced Devices
PP1.3.3.1 Passivated Contact Solar Cells
PP1.3.3.2 Bifacial Solar Cells
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