Solartap - Initiating Emerging Pv - from the Lab to the Fab

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Recording of Thursday, June 20, 2024 | The smarter E Europe 2024 | Exhibition Program | Language: English | Duration: 13:56 .

"Germany's Helmholtz Institutes Launch SolarTEP to Bridge Research and Industry for Advanced Solar Technology Integration Across New Applications."

The context revolves around the efforts to scale up solar energy production, particularly in Germany. Currently, global solar capacity stands at one terawatt (2022), with an ambitious goal of reaching 80 terawatts. Given limited landscape space for traditional installations, innovative approaches are needed. Helmholtz Institutes have been pivotal in developing adaptable and scalable solar technologies such as printed photovoltaic (PV) panels—lightweight, flexible, and suitable for diverse applications like agriculture, buildings, and mobility infrastructure. To facilitate industrial adoption of these innovations, SolarTEP was founded. This initiative aims to bridge research and industry through structured collaboration mechanisms like roadmaps identifying research gaps and stage-gate processes ensuring systematic progress towards application targets. Helmholtz's labs play a crucial role by providing physical laboratories equipped with advanced machinery alongside "living labs" that test applications in real-world settings. A digital twin lab further enhances testing capabilities through simulations. Overall, SolarTEP seeks active industry participation to transform ongoing research into practical solutions efficiently.

Automated summarization by AI Conver

European research institutes are leaders in solar cell research, as evidenced by impressive results in TOPCon, SHJ, and IBC cells. Promising laboratory results paint a bright future for the technological development, with the next frontier involving the integration of clean room technologies into production lines. Additionally, innovative approaches by forward-thinking companies aim to conserve resources, such as silicon, silver, and process consumables, through consumption reduction or the use of alternative materials and processes. This session brings together pioneering approaches, alongside steady and robust R&D development on the journey from lab to fab. Solar device development is high-tech.

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Photovoltaic prices have fallen continuously in recent years - a trend that should translate into a growing market for off-grid solutions. Declining costs are crucial for rural electrification in particular, making sustainable energy supply economically viable in remote regions. However, so far many of these price advantages have not yet reached the people that need them most. Do existing framework conditions to foster rural electrification still work in this new market reality? Which measures are needed to ensure that cost reductions reach our target group? This session discusses strategies for improving the availability of low-cost off-grid solutions, financing and innovative business models. A look at successful practical examples shows which political, economic and technological levers need to be pulled to make off-grid PV accessible on a large scale.

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Photovoltaic prices have fallen continuously in recent years - a trend that should translate into a growing market for off-grid solutions. Declining costs are crucial for rural electrification in particular, making sustainable energy supply economically viable in remote regions. However, so far many of these price advantages have not yet reached the people that need them most. Do existing framework conditions to foster rural electrification still work in this new market reality? Which measures are needed to ensure that cost reductions reach our target group? This session discusses strategies for improving the availability of low-cost off-grid solutions, financing and innovative business models. A look at successful practical examples shows which political, economic and technological levers need to be pulled to make off-grid PV accessible on a large scale.

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025
Setting the Scene "Off-Grid"

Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 04:00 pm - 05:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program

premium account

Photovoltaic prices have fallen continuously in recent years - a trend that should translate into a growing market for off-grid solutions. Declining costs are crucial for rural electrification in particular, making sustainable energy supply economically viable in remote regions. However, so far many of these price advantages have not yet reached the people that need them most. Do existing framework conditions to foster rural electrification still work in this new market reality? Which measures are needed to ensure that cost reductions reach our target group? This session discusses strategies for improving the availability of low-cost off-grid solutions, financing and innovative business models. A look at successful practical examples shows which political, economic and technological levers need to be pulled to make off-grid PV accessible on a large scale.

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