Intersolar Europe in Munich: HZB research meets solar industry
Intersolar Europe is the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners and takes place annually at the Messe München exhibition center in Munich, Germany.
© Solar Promotion GmbH
At the major international photovoltaics exhibition from 31 May to 2 June 2017, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will be exhibiting solar energy research projects and presenting opportunities for industrial cooperation in the field of photovoltaics (PV).
Intersolar Europe is a world leading event where manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and service providers come to learn of new developments in the solar industry. A team from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin will be presenting its research in the field of renewable energies at this exhibition in Hall A2, Booth 574 – in particular, the new Helmholtz Innovation Lab HySPRINT and the long-established competence centre for photovoltaics PVcomB. These two institutes primarily address the scientific-technical issues of technology transfer and cooperate closely with industrial partners.
In the Helmholtz Innovation Lab HySPRINT, silicon-based materials are being combined with organometallic perovskite crystals to develop so-called hybrid tandem cells. Such cells can be used for solar generation of electricity or hydrogen.
The Competence Centre Thin-Film- and Nanotechnology for Photovoltaics Berlin (PVcomB) has industrial reference lines for manufacturing CIGS and silicon photovoltaics. Teams of HZB experts are collaborating with industry to develop novel thin-film technologies and products. Joint research projects with industrial partners have already culminated in many successful innovations.
Research into new material systems for photovoltaics is an important focal topic at HZB. The Centre is specialised in so-called energy materials that convert or store energy. This includes solar cells, material systems for generating hydrogen from sunlight, and magnetic material systems for developing energy-efficient information technologies. For studying interfaces and surfaces of thin films, HZB operates the photon source BESSY II and a series of CoreLabs with latest generation equipment.
HZB’s info stand is in Hall A2, Booth 574 (A2.574)
- Bright prospects for tin perovskite solar cellsPerovskite solar cells are widely regarded as the next generation photovoltaic technology. However, they are not yet stable enough in the long term for widespread commercial use. One reason for this is migrating ions, which cause degradation of the semiconducting material over time. A team from HZB and the University of Potsdam has now investigated the ion density in four different, widely used perovskite compounds and discovered significant differences. Tin perovskite semiconductors produced with an alternative solvent had a particular low ion density — only one tenth that of lead perovskite semiconductors. This suggests that tin-based perovskites could be used to make solar cells that are not only really environmentally friendly but also very stable.
- Synchrotron radiation sources: toolboxes for quantum technologiesSynchrotron radiation sources generate highly brilliant light pulses, ranging from infrared to hard X-rays, which can be used to gain deep insights into complex materials. An international team has now published an overview on synchrotron methods for the further development of quantum materials and technologies in the journal Advanced Functional Materials: Using concrete examples, they show how these unique tools can help to unlock the potential of quantum technologies such as quantum computing, overcome production barriers and pave the way for future breakthroughs.
- Joint Kyiv Energy and Climate Lab goes liveHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy established on 27 November a Joint Energy and Climate Lab.