• The German government is encouraging a research team to explore perovskite solar cell technology for high volume manufacturing
  • It has granted €2.8 million ($3.24 million) to the team that’s led by Oxford PV
  • Other members of the consortium include VON ARDENNE GmbH, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Fraunhofer ISE and the Technical University of Berlin
  • The team will work out further improvements on industrial 156 mm x 156 mm wafer formats and optimize perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell architecture

United Kingdom (UK) located technology company Oxford PV is leading a consortium to undertake research on perovskite solar cell technology for high volume manufacturing. The team has received a €2.8 million ($3.24 million) research grant from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy.

Other members of the consortium include PV production equipment maker VON ARDENNE GmbH, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and the Technical University of Berlin. Together they will try to demonstrate the manufacturability of perovskite-silicon solar cells.

The research will include optimization of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell architecture, and will carry out further improvements on industrial 156 mm x 156 mm wafer formats. As part of their research, they will also look into refinement of industrial scale process technology, and conduct life-cycle analysis to inform the social-environmental impact of the tandem solar cells.

Oxford PV is already producing commercial sized tandem cells at its pilot production line. With this research, the company’s CEO Frank P. Averdung says Oxford PV aims to optimize the process, in preparation for commercial deployment.

“Refining the manufacturing process of our perovskite solar cell technology will ensure the highest performing tandem solar cell in the field and the easy transfer of our technology into silicon solar cell and module production lines,” said Oxford PV CTO Chris Case.

Recently, the UK based company achieved a 27.3% conversion efficiency record for Perovskite/silicon solar cells that was certified by Fraunhofer ISE (see Oxford PV Reports 27.3% Perovskite Cell Efficiency).