CRYSTAL CLEAR for PV http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_pu/renews/002/article_1414_en.htm

CRYSTAL CLEAR for PV

Wim Sinke with his favourite technology
Wim Sinke with his favourite technology

“European companies will have to implement continuously the results of EC-funded photovoltaic (PV) research in order to be competitive on the world market,” says Mr. Wim Sinke, coordinator of the integrated project CRYSTAL CLEAR.

What are the research challenges that CRYSTAL CLEAR focuses on?
Crystalline silicon PV technology still has huge potential for improvement. There is a lot to be done. Our main objective is to reduce the module manufacturing costs by 60%. This is an important factor in making PV competitive for the end-user electricity markets. We also have to reduce the energy payback time – the time that the modules need to be in operation to produce the same amount of energy that was consumed during their manufacturing – in order to make PV even more effective as a sustainable source of energy. We aim at an energy pay-back time of two years, making PV a net producer of clean energy over more than 90% of its lifetime. Finally, we intend to enhance the applicability of PV modules so that they can be easily used for multiple purposes. This includes, for example, improving flexibility in manufacturing to adapt to customers’ needs and wishes.

CRYSTAL CLEAR is one of the largest renewable energy research projects in the history of the Sustainable Energy Systems programme. What effect could the €16 million injection to PV research have on the European PV industry?
Europe already has a well-established knowledge-base of crystalline silicon (cSi) PV, but so far research efforts were rather scattered and, therefore, probably less effective than they could have been. An Integrated Project (IP), such as CRYSTAL CLEAR, is an excellent tool to focus research in this field. It addresses the full range of problems from raw materials to the end product, instead of concentrating on separate issues. Research groups work together closely with companies with the aim of integrating rapidly the latest research results into industrial processes. Researchers also get immediate feed-back from their industrial counterparts. With this synergy, we will be able to gain from previous investments in research and make the important next steps in crystalline silicon PV, which will enable Europe to maintain its competitiveness on the world market.

Crystalline silicon PV currently has a market share of around 90%, but in the last couple of years some novel and promising technologies have emerged. Why is it worthwhile for Europe to invest in cSi?
We believe that crystalline silicon will remain a major PV technology for the next 20 years or even longer. The potential for improvement is enormous. In combination with proven quality and relatively high efficiencies, this makes cSi PV hard to beat. Other promising technologies, such as thin films solutions, are in the pipeline, but there is a worldwide trend to bring cSi technology to its limits by integrating existing and new knowledge, implementing advanced processing schemes and adapting module design to the requirements of large-scale manufacturing. Crystalline silicon technology is not second best, or a technology that should be replaced by something else as soon as possible. Undoubtedly, thin film will gain an important share of the market in the longer-term, but this will be on the basis of clear added value and not because we jump from one emerging technology to another. The industry appears to share this vision, including countries outside the EU. For example, Japanese manufacturers are making similar investments in cSi production capacity.

There are no partners from the New Member States in the project. Does that mean that the accession countries are lagging behind the EU- 15 in terms of PV-related research?

An Integrated Project with very ambitious goals like CRYSTAL CLEAR has to be very efficient, effective and lean. It is not a suitable forum to bring together a large number of partners with different backgrounds and experience. There are other instruments for that. The sixteen partners in CRYSTAL CLEAR all have an impressive track record in PV research, manufacturing and collaboration. Together, they can do this job.

Would that mean that there is no place for partners in CRYSTAL CLEAR from the accession countries?

As our work progresses, there is always a chance for new members to join CRYSTAL CLEAR, since, in IPs, it is possible to accept new partners as the project goes on. Obviously, this should be on the basis of additional needs, and not just to enlarge the consortium. Other initiatives may be more suitable for getting to know partners from New Member States and starting to develop collaboration.