Flexible design of building integrated thin‐film photovoltaics

Abstract

The high cost of building integrated photovoltaics is one of the main reasons preventing a more widespread application. We propose a panel-on-demand concept for flexible design of building integrated thin-film photovoltaics to address this issue.The concept is based on the use of semi-finished PV modules (standard mass products) with subsequent refinement into BIPV PV modules. In this study, we demonstrate the three processes necessary to realize this concept. First, a prototype tool to cut thin film photovoltaic elements on glass substrates based on laser perforation was developed.Damage to the processed samples did not exceed a distance of 50 μm from laser cuts.Second, oxide/metal/oxide-electrodes with integrated colour were applied on Cu (In, Ga)Se 2 cells and standard monolithic interconnection structuring was used to produce modules sized 30 Â 30 cm 2 in red, green and blue with strong colours. Third, A backend interconnection process was developed for amorphous silicon thin film cells, which allows for the structuring of modules from elements of custom shape. The panel-ondemand strategy may allow for a streamlined production of customized modules and a lower cost for aesthetically pleasing, fully building integrated solar modules.

Development of a Plasmonic Light Management Architecture Integrated within an Interface Passivation Scheme for Ultrathin Solar Cells

“…[1][2][3][4] Within this paradigm, thinfilm and ultrathin solar cells offer great potential as they are characterized by their low material usage, compatibility with flexible substrates, high performance under diffuse light, and aesthetic integration into various surfaces, being particularly well suited for urban and residential environments. [5][6][7][8][9] The benchmark of second-generation photovoltaics (PV) is the Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS)-based technology with a record light-to-power conversion efficiency of 23.6% for a thin film and 15.2% for an ultrathin 450 nm absorber. [10,11] Despite ultrathin solar cells currently having lower efficiency values than the thin-film counterpart, they allow for an improved production throughput, as a thinner layer can potentially be produced faster, [12] there is a potential increase in In response to climate and resource challenges, the transition to a renewable and decentralized energy system is imperative.…”

Textured Stainless Steel as a Platform for Black Mg2Si/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells with Advanced Photovoltaic Performance

“…Building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) is an essential part of modern solar power technology moving towards net-zero-energy and zero-carbon-emission engineering [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The utilization of conventional construction materials to substitute crystalline silicon, glass or solar-grade stainless steel (SS) substrates seems to be the most cost-effective solution [ 9 , 10 , 11 ] for large-scale integration of solar cells (SCs).…”