PV Catapult,

1
Developing the Research Agenda- Achievements and
Aims Professor Nicola Pearsall Northumbria
University, UKVice-President, EUREC Agency
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Review of Status

• PV-TRAC has presented its Vision Report,
  including the Strategic Research Agenda
• EUREC and EPIA responded to the consultation
  and support the SRA in line with Paris
  position
• A final version of the Vision Report,
  incorporating comments from the conference
  delegates, will be published in due course
  (major changes to the SRA are not expected)
• The SRA will be developed further within and
  implemented by the Technology Platform
• Prior to this, initial development of the
  work programme for FP7 will be undertaken

EUREC Agency
3
Strategic Research Agenda - Aims of Development

• To feed into the discussions on FP7 and ensure
  that the appropriate parts of the SRA are
  included
• To determine priority actions for research
  and development in FP7 that are consistent with
  the targets defined in the Vision Report
• To make some recommendations on the PV budget
• The research and development should be
  targeted towards
• maintaining and enhancing the European PV
  industry in both the short and long term
• maximising the options for the deployment of
  PV both within and outside Europe

EUREC Agency
4
Research Priorities Developing a Technology

• Cost goals can be met only by a balance of
  technical achievements (e.g. efficiency,
  material usage, process yield, lifetime) but
  these will vary between technologies
• Candidate technologies (or approaches within
  those technologies) need to be assessed against
  the goals at several stages of development
• By implication, therefore, each technology
  requires its own roadmap with interim goals to
  allow assessment of progress
• Some of the interim goals will be common,
  others will be specific requirements to address
  potential technical bottlenecks (perhaps even
  allowing go/no go decisions)

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5
Research Priorities Competing Technologies

• The SRA provides a quite detailed list of
  technologies and approaches, all of which are
  deemed to have the potential to meet one or more
  of the cost goals
• Therefore, in the first instance at least, we
  should not choose between technologies, but
  define the priorities within each technology
• Isnt this the way we have always done it? How
  does this improve the situation?
• Previously, we have been required to choose
  between technologies because the budget has been
  insufficient to cover all options this does
  not promote adherence to the strategic objectives

EUREC Agency
6
Research Priorities Budget Issues

• Whilst we can start by a comparison with the
  budget of others (Japan, US), there will need
  to be justification of the amount
• In defining a budget, we should express this
  in terms of the ability to realise the
  objectives of the Strategic Agenda
• This implies parallel investigation of all
  options at the appropriate level, as determined
  by the roadmap for each technology continuity
  is necessary to achieve the speed of development
  required
• It also implies improved support for transfer
  of successful processes into industry (including
  the development of suitable equipment for
  production)

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7
Balance of Systems Issues

• The achievement of the cost goals also relies
  on significant progress in BOS components and
  implementation issues, as well as cells and
  modules
• The SRA should be strengthened further in terms
  of the detail of approaches to be taken
• Systems issues should not compete for budget
  with cell and module technologies they are
  complementary and necessary to provide the
  market and ensure that advances made at the
  module level are translated into advances in
  application

EUREC Agency
8
The Discussion So Far

• Silicon feedstock and novel wafering concepts
• Silicon wafer cells higher efficiency, lower
  thickness, low cost and high throughput
  processing technology
• Epitaxial silicon cells, wafer equivalents
• Thin film solar cells (chalcopyrites, a-Si,
  etc.) including multijunctions
• Lifetime and efficiency issues for
  polymer/organic/dye cells
• High efficiency concentrator multijunction
  cells
• Long lifetime module materials, polymer free
  modules

Continued.
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9
The Discussion So Far

• Improved inverter lifetime (gt20 years)
• Simple installation systems for building
  integration
• Initiative on rural electrification including
  business model development, solutions for
  metering, battery management, power electronics
  and support for demonstration and deployment
• High efficiency PV/thermal modules
• Development of concentrator PV plant
  technology

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10
Summary

• To meet the objectives of the Vision Report,
  including timescales, we must advance all
  potential routes for their achievement
• Priority lists should be drawn up for each
  technology sector to address a road map for that
  area
• The RD agenda should pay due attention to the
  transfer of technology to pilot production,
  including the development of process equipment
• The budget requirement can then be determined
  to allow all areas to progress at the required
  speed (subject only to solution of the technical
  issues)

EUREC Agency