Berlin Science Week: Research Delivers – What is Slowing Down the Expansion of Solar Energy?
Thanks to new technologies from research, solar power does not cost more than coal-based electricity; but why is the expansion simply not getting off the ground?
Solar modules could also cover a considerable proportion of the energy requirements in cities - especially if the surfaces on the facades are also used in future. For this purpose, there are now a large number of aesthetically attractive facade solutions that also convert scattered light into electricity and are available in many colors and shapes. More and more solutions are emerging from research that enable even higher efficiencies and even lower module costs. The technologies are there and the kilowatt hour of solar power is no more expensive than coal-fired power. Yet the expansion is not getting off the ground. What is the reason for this?
Photovoltaics researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will meet with representatives from politics and industry in a panel discussion. They will discuss research successes, economic aspects, market strategies, political incentives, construction challenges and what is needed to ensure that more solar power soon finds its way into living rooms.
Panel:
- Samira Jama Aden (Architect at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin | PVcomB | BAIP)
- Prof. Steve Albrecht (Head of the young investigator group Perowskite Tandem Solar Cells, HZB)
- Prof. Claudia Kemfert (German Institute for Economic Research, Head of Department Energy, Transportation, Environment)
- N.N.
Host: Prof. Rutger Schlatmann (Director of the Competence Centre Photovoltaics Berlin, PVcomB / HZB)
9. November 2020, 17.00 Uhr | Online
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplasticsBio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.
- Rutger Schlatmann re-elected as ETIP PV ChairThe European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) was created by the European Commission in order to promote photovoltaic technologies and industries in Europe. Now, the ETIP PV Steering Committee elected a new Chair, as well as two Vice-Chairs for the term 2024 – 2026. Rutger Schlatmann, head of the division Solar Energy at the HZB, and professor at HTW Berlin, was re-elected as the ETIP PV Chair.