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This paper presents an overview of the research carried out by a European consortium with the aim to develop and test new and improved ways to realise dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) with enhanced efficiencies and stabilities. Several new areas have been explored in the field of new concepts and materials, fabrication protocols for TiO2 and scatterlayers, metal oxide blocking layers, strategies for co-sensitization and low temperature processes of platinum deposition. Fundamental understanding of the working principles has been gained by means of electrical and optical modelling and advanced characterization techniques. Cost analyses have been made to demonstrate the potential of DSC as a low cost thin film PV technology. The combined efforts have led to maximum non-certified power conversion efficiencies under full sunlight of 11% for areas < 0 center dot 2 cm(2) and 10 center dot 1% for a cell with an active area of 1 center dot 3 cm(2). Lifetime studies revealed negligible device degradation after 1000hrs of accelerated tests under thermal stress at 80 degrees C in the dark and visible light soaking at 60 degrees C. An outlook summarizing future directions in the research and large-scale production of DSC is presented

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A new interdigital design for large area dye solar modules is developed for an area of 30 x 30 cm(2). This design requires fewer holes in the glass substrate for electrolyte filling, than the conventional strip design. A complete manufacturing process of this module-ranging from screen printed layers to semi-automated colouring and electrolyte filling-in a laboratory-scale baseline is illustrated. As primary sealing method, a durable glass frit sealing is used. It is shown, that the lead (Pb) content present in many glass frit powders contaminates the catalytic platinum electrode during the sintering process, resulting in a lowering of the fill factor. A screen printable lead-free glass frit paste is developed, which solves this problem. Long term stability tests are presented on 2.5 cm(2) dye solar cells, which have been completely sealed with glass fit. In consecutively performed accelerated ageing tests under 85 degrees C in the dark (about 1400 h) and continuous illumination with visible light (1 sun, about 1700 h), a 2.5 cm(2) dye solar cell with an electrolyte based on propylmethylimidazolium iodide showed an overall degradation of less than 5% in conversion efficiency. In a subsequently performed thermal cycling test (-40 degrees C to + 85 degrees C, 50 cycles) a 2.5cm(2) dye solar cell with the same electrolyte composition also showed only a slight degradation of less than 5% in conversion efficiency