New application to raise EU PV industries' competitiveness

Solar energy, as a viable renewable alternative, is on the rise worldwide. The EU photovoltaic (PV) industry needs to improve its competitiveness to meet global market demands. One of the problems the industry faces is that the production of solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity, requires heavy metals.

The EU-funded HighLite project aims to develop low-cost recyclable solutions with reduced CO2 emissions. Based on knowledge acquired by previous projects, the new technology exploits fine crystalline silicon solar cells. The project will develop tools for a wide range of distributed generation applications, thus sustainably increasing the competitiveness of EU PV industries.

The following developments will take place:

1. building-applied PV modules with η ≥ 22% and a carbon footprint ≤ 250 kg-eq.CO2/kWp
2. building-integrated PV modules with η ≥ 21% and improved shading tolerance, and (3) 3D-curved vehicle-integrated PV modules with η ≥ 20% and a weight ≤ 5 kg/m2. Finally, HighLite aims to show improved cost and performance (both through indoor testing and outdoor demonstrators) against state-of-the-art commercially available modules.

Altogether, it is expected that the solutions developed in HighLite will:

1. create more demand in Europe and worldwide for such DG products,
2. significantly improve the competitiveness of industrial actors that are part of the consortium, and
3. trigger significant investment in the EU PV industry.

Objective

The HighLite project aims to substantially improve the competitiveness of the EU PV manufacturing industry by developing knowledge-based manufacturing solutions for high-performance low-cost modules with excellent environnment profiles (low CO2 footprint, enhanced durability, improved recyclability).

To achieve this, the HighLite project focuses on thin (down to 100 µm) high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells with passivating contacts and capitalizes on the learnings from previous large funded projects. In HighLite, a unique consortium of experienced industrial actors and leading institutes will work collectively to develop, optimize, and bring to high technology readiness levels (TRL 6-7) innovative solutions at both cell and module levels.

In practice, HighLite will demonstrate high-efficiency ¼ size (or smaller) cut solar cells (silicon heterojunction cells with efficiency η ≥ 23.3%, interdigated back-contact cells with η ≥ 24.3%; only 0.2% less than full size cells) in pilot-line manufacturing. Industrial tools will be developed in the project for assembling these cut-cells into high-efficiency modules tailored for various distributed generation (DG) applications.

Partners

• INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM
• COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
• INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCHCENTER KONSTANZ ISC EV
• CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT
• ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
• INSTITUT FUR SOLARENERGIEFORSCHUNG GMBH
• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
• NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
• PI PHOTOVOLTAIK-INSTITUT BERLIN AG
• APPLIED MATERIALS ITALIA SRL
• HENKEL ELECTRONIC MATERIALS BELGIUMNV
• ION BEAM SERVICES
• 3D-Micromac AG
• UAB SOLI TEK R&D
• VALOE OYJ
• VOLTEC SOLAR
• ISSOL SA 
• UAB VALOE CELLS

Start date: 1 October 2019 - End date: 31 March 2023

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 857793.