MAIN OBJECTIVES
OPTIMIZATION OF MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES

The MAIN OBJECTIVE of the project is the optimization of materials and technologies involved in Concentration PhotoVoltaic System production in order to reduce the systems’ cost/watt and increase the system efficiency.

The reduction of system cost/watt, that reflects in a reduction of the PV-generated electricity, will be achieved by:
developing an all-plastic system by using recycled plastic compounds;
developing Si solar cells for automatic assembling technology;
implementing and industrializing automated high-throughput technologies for cell assembly and optics production.

The increase of system efficiency will reachieved by:
increasing Si concentration cell efficiency by using surface plasmonic crystal structures;
developing plastic materials doped with down-converting nanoparticles for modification of the solar spectrum in order to enhance the absorption efficiency of solar cells.

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
OPTIMIZATION OF THE NEW APPLICATION-ADDRESSED NANOCOMPOSITE THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL

The SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES concern the optimization of silicon concentrator solar cells and the development of new application-addressed nanocomposite thermoplastic material.

The possibility of using surface plasmonic crystals on the scale of the light wavelength will be studied in order to improve the light absorption of semiconductor layers by coupling the light with the waveguide modes of the semiconductor layer. Plasmonic structures will be realized by combination of interference lithography and evaporation technique with the aim to use low-cost techniques that could be used for industrial silicon solar cell production.

Solar cell optimization concerns also the development of an hybrid approach of laser grooved and planar contact areas for realization of Si cell suitable for interconnection with automated ultrasonic welding. Today, the present Si technology is optimised for continuous solder contact to one edge, that requires semi-manual interconnecting procedure.

The project aims also to develop thermoplastic material suitable for CPV system production, and in particular:
transparent plastic material doped with nano-structured down-converter elements for the realization of optical elements for modification of the solar spectrum in order to enhance the efficiency of solar cells;
nanocomposite plastic material from recycled one, with thermal and mechanical properties suitable for realization of housing and reflectors.

TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES
IMPLEMENTATION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION OF AUTOMATED LOW-COST TECHNOLOGIES

TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES concern the implementation and industrialization of automated low-cost technologies for CPV components fabrications, in particular:
automated high-throughput techniques for solar cell assembling: pick&place technique and ultrasonic welding;
plastic moulding technology: vacuum and injection-compression modes for the realization of high quality lens.

EXPLOITATION OF RESULTS
PRODUCTION OF 1 KWatt OF CPV SYSTEM FOR TESTING

The scientific and technological objectives of the project will be exploited by the realization of a low concentration photovoltaic system based on the point-focus idea.
The new system, ready to be produced at the end of the project, will be based on Silicon concentration solar cell technology coupled to hybrid mirror-lens concentrator optical system, designed in the framework of the project.
The project also includes the design and development of an innovative one-axis tracker integrated with optics for the realization of a compact CPV module to be used for rooftop applications.