The ESPResSo team targets cost-effective alternative materials, novel cell concepts and architectures, and advanced processing know-how and equipment to overcome the current limitations of this technology. The consortium aims to bring the cell performance close to its theoretical limit by demonstrating cell efficiency of more than 24% (on 1cm²) and less than 10% degradation in cell efficiency following thermal stress at 85°C, 85% RH for over 1000h. Scale-up activities utilizing solution processed slot-die coating and laser processing will additionally deliver modules with more than 17% efficiency showing long-term (>20 years) reliable performance as deduced from IEC-compliant test conditions.
With its low-cost materials and low-temperature deposition processes, perovskite-based PV technology has the potential to takes its place in the thin-film PV market. Perovskite solar cells have already demonstrated high efficiencies (above 22%) that rival those of established mainstream thin-film PV technologies like copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) and cadmium-telluride (CdTe). The challenge is now to transfer the unprecedented progress that the perovskite PV cell technology has made in recent years from its cell level into a scalable, stable, low-cost technology on module level.
The ESPResSo team also envisions integrating modules in façade elements demonstrating a levelised cost of electricity (LCoE) of ≤ 0.05€/kWh. Prototyping advanced, arbitrary-shaped architectures with specific materials and process combinations will emphasize that new highly innovative applications like on flexible substrates or with high semi-transparency are well accessible in the mid- to longer-term with this very promising thin-film PV technology.
Since we live in the clean energy revolution, once again, ONYX R&D department is committed to the latest trends in the PV market with the firm thought of helping cities to be more efficient and green energy more present in our lives.
The Team
The ESPResSo Project has been granted over 5M euro by the European Union to overcome the limitations of today’s state-of-the-art perovskite PV technology, bring perovskite solar cells to the next maturity level, and demonstrate their practical application.
The members of the consortium include:
The fundamental research organizations Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy;
Perovskite solar cell scale-up and industrialization members IMEC, Belgium, Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata (UNITOV-CHOSE), Italy and FRAUNHOFER, Germany;
Experts in sustainability and durability CSGI (Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase), Italy and University of Cyprus, Cyprus;
Members representing materials development include DYCOTEC MATERIALS LTD, United Kingdom, DYENAMO AB, Sweden and CORNING SAS, France;
Equipment manufacturer, M-SOLV LTD, United Kingdom;
Perovskite solar cell technology developers SAULE SP ZOO, Poland;
Building-integrated photovoltaics developer, ONYX SOLAR ENERGY SL, Spain.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement nº764047 of the ESPResSo Project.