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