www.ecn.nl Where very small meets very large: nanotechnology for efficient solar energy conversion Wim Sinke ECN Solar Energy, University of Amsterdam & FOM Institute AMOLF
www.ecn.nl
Where very small meets very large:
nanotechnology for efficient solar energy
conversion Wim Sinke
ECN Solar Energy, University of Amsterdam & FOM Institute AMOLF
Thank you: Albert Polman (AMOLF)
Bonna Newman (AMOLF)
Pierpaolo Spinelli (AMOLF)
Tom Gregorkiewicz (UvA)
Katerina Dohnalová (UvA)
Patrick de Jager (ASML)
Michel van de Moosdijk (ASML)
Frank Lenzmann (ECN)
Stefan Luxembourg (ECN)
Arthur Weeber (ECN)
for providing input and inspiration for this presentation!
Content
• Photovoltaic solar energy (PV): the challenge quantified
• The building blocks: solar cells in fab and lab
• Where nanotechnology comes in: to and beyond current performance and cost limits
• Outlook: mature yet young
3
Content
• Photovoltaic solar energy (PV): the challenge quantified
• The building blocks: solar cells in fab and lab
• Where nanotechnology comes in: to and beyond current performance and cost limits
• Outlook: mature yet young
4
Solar energy contribution Solar Energy Perspectives – Testing the Limits (IEA, 2011)
5
(13% of final energy) = 40.000 km2 module area @ 30% efficiency = area The Netherlands
Solar energy contribution Shell Lens Scenarios – Oceans (2013)
7
Multi-terawatt use
Quantifying the challenge
• Competitive generation costs (from 0.10 €/kWh to 0.05 €/kWh – 0.5 1 €/Wp system price (dependent on region and market)
• High module efficiencies (from 10 20% to 20 40%+) – cost reduction lever at all levels
– facilitates large-scale use
• From renewable to fully sustainable (earth-abundant materials?) – Materials & processes
– Design for sustainability
• Total quality (at very low cost)
Content
• Photovoltaic solar energy (PV): the challenge quantified
• The building blocks: solar cells in fab and lab
• Where nanotechnology comes in: to and beyond current performance and cost limits
• The third dimension: sustainability
• Outlook: mature yet young
10
First Solar HyET Solar Würth Solar
Cell & module technologies:
commercial
11
Flat plate: wafer-based silicon (90%) - monocrystalline - multicrystalline (& quasi mono)
Module efficiencies 14 22%
Toyota City of the Sun (NL)
Concentrator (<1%) - multi-junction III-V semiconductors - silicon
Module efficiencies 25 30%
Abengoa/Concentrix FhG-ISE
Flat plate: thin films (10%) - silicon - copper-indium/gallium-diselenide/sulphide (CIGSS) - cadmium telluride (CdTe)
Module efficiencies 7 13% ECN’s Black Beauty
First Solar Helianthos Würth Solar
Cell & module technologies:
commercial
12
Flat plate: wafer-based silicon (90%) - monocrystalline - multicrystalline (& quasi mono)
Module efficiencies 14 22%
Toyota City of the Sun (NL)
Trends: • new cell and module architectures • high(er) efficiencies – closing lab/fab gap
Trends: • increasing scale • differentiation according to application
Concentrator (<1%) - multi-junction III-V semiconductors - silicon
Module efficiencies 25 30%
Abengoa/Concentrix FhG-ISE
Trends: • commercial applications taking off • race to 50% lab cell efficiencies
Flat plate: thin films (10%) - silicon - copper-indium/gallium-diselenide/sulphide (CIGSS) - cadmium telluride (CdTe)
Module efficiencies 7 13%
Concepts & technologies
Lab and pilot production
• super-high-efficiency concepts – full use of all light colors (optimize cell or optimize spectrum)
– advanced light management & concentration
• super-low-cost concepts (& technologies for new applications)
– very fast and non-vacuum processing
– low-cost materials & low material use
13
Example: spectrum conversion using
quantum dots (Univ. of Amsterdam)
Example: polymer solar cell (Solliance)
Concepts & technologies
Lab and pilot production
• super-high-efficiency concepts – full use of all light colors (optimize cell or optimize spectrum)
– advanced light management & concentration
• super-low-cost concepts (& technologies for new applications)
– very fast and non-vacuum processing
– low-cost materials & low material use
14
Example: spectrum conversion using
quantum dots (Univ. of Amsterdam)
Example: polymer solar cell (Solliance)
www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg
www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg
nanotechnology as driver
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
and curve loss 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
30%
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
and curve loss 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
30%
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
qVoc < Egap
(JV)max < JmaxVmax
Eph > Eg
Eph < Eg
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
and curve loss 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
30%
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
qVoc < Egap
(JV)max < JmaxVmax
Eph > Eg
Eph < Eg
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
(and curve loss) 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
FhG-ISE
30%
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
(and curve loss) 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
500 1000 1500 2000 25000
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
AM15
GaInP
GaInAs
Ge
30%
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
(and curve loss) 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
30%
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
(and curve loss) 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
30%
Ideal single-gap cells
Loss factor Selected remedies
recombination light management incl. concentration
(and curve loss) 30% 40%
spectral losses multi-gap & multi-band cells
hot carrier cells
multi-carrier generation
spectrum shaping
40% 70%+ `
Routes to (very) high efficiency Potential & limits (rounded numbers)
30%
Content
• Photovoltaic solar energy (PV): the challenge quantified
• The building blocks: solar cells in fab and lab
• Where nanotechnology comes in: to and beyond current performance and cost limits
• Outlook: mature yet young
25
Nanopatterning for high-efficiency PV:
finding the way in a jungle of options
27
Challenge: combine the best of two
worlds for a record efficiency
28
Example: advanced light management
to cross the 25% efficiency barrier for silicon
29
Example: advanced light
management for ultra-thin solar cells (1)
30
Example: advanced light
management for ultra-thin solar cells (2)
31
Example: enhanced spectrum
utilisation using QDs
32 Courtesy: Tom Gregorkiewicz (UvA)
Example: spectrum shaping to boost
efficiency (“add-on” to solar cells)
33 Courtesy: Tom Gregorkiewicz (UvA)
Example: spectrum shaping by Space-
Separated Quantum Cutting using QDs (1)
34 Courtesy: Tom Gregorkiewicz (UvA)
Eexc ≥ 2Egap
Example: spectrum shaping by Space-
Separated Quantum Cutting using QDs (2)
35 Courtesy: Tom Gregorkiewicz (UvA)
The Holy Grail?
All-silicon tandem solar cell
36 http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/labtalk-article/34339
Content
• Photovoltaic solar energy (PV): the challenge quantified
• The building blocks: solar cells in fab and lab
• Where nanotechnology comes in: to and beyond current performance and cost limits
• Outlook: mature yet young
37
Commercial module efficiencies History & projections (simplified estimates)
Commercial module efficiencies History & projections (simplified estimates)
The future at a glance
40
Current 2020
Long-term
potential
Commercial module efficiency flat
plate/concentrator (%) 722 / 2530 1025 / 3035 2050
Turn-key system price (flat plate)
(€/Wp)
13
0.82 (with sustainable
margins)
0.51
Cost of electricity
(LCoE, €/kWh) 0.050.30 0.040.20 0.030.10
Energy pay-back time (yrs) 0.52 0.251 0.250.5
Installed capacity (TWp) 0.1 0.51 10-50
The future at a glance
Current 2020
Long-term
potential
Commercial module efficiency flat
plate/concentrator (%) 722 / 2530 1025 / 3035 2050
Turn-key system price (flat plate)
(€/Wp)
13
0.82 (with sustainable
margins)
0.51
Cost of electricity
(LCoE, €/kWh) 0.050.30 0.040.20 0.030.10
Energy pay-back time (yrs) 0.52 0.251 0.250.5
Installed capacity (TWp) 0.1 0.51 10-50
x 23
x ½⅓
x 100+
A view on the future
42
City of the Sun, Municipality of Heerhugowaard. Photo: KuiperCompagnons
Thank you for your attention!