Next Generation Photovoltaics

In April 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a funding opportunity announcement for the exploratory research and development of innovative, revolutionary, and highly disruptive next-generation photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The PV device and manufacturing process research activities in this area are expected to produce prototype PV cells and/or processes by 2015, with full commercialization by 2020-2030. Projects will begin in October 2007.

Project Name:

Next Generation Photovoltaic Devices and Processes

FOA #:

DE-PS36-07GO97025

Project Description:

Research to develop innovative photovoltaic cells and/or processes by 2015. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Photovoltaic devices-organic, crystalline, non-single-crystal devices, photo-electrochemical, advanced multijunction, low-dimensional structures, optimized interfaces, transport properties, and cross-cutting issues
Hybrid PV concepts-hydrogen generation, powered electrochromics, and storage
Manufacturing-low-cost techniques, environmental/recycling issues, and novel manufacturing processes.

Awardees:

On November 8, 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy announced its selection of the following 25 Next Generation PV projects (PDF 2.1 MB) Download Adobe Reader.:

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ—Advanced semiconductor materials for breakthrough photovoltaic applications
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ—II-IV-V-based thin-film tandem photovoltaic cell
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA—Solar cells from Earth-abundant semiconductors with plasmon-enhanced light absorption
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA—All-inorganic, efficient photovoltaic sold-state devices utilizing semiconducting colloidal nanocrystal quantum dots
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA—Thin, high-lifetime silicon wafers with no sawing; recrystallization in a thin-film capsule
Mayaterials, Ann Arbor, MI—Solar-grade silicon from agricultural by-products
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA—Improved electrodes and electrolytes for dye-based solar cells
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA—High-aspect-ratio semiconductor heterojunction solar cells
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY—High-efficiency nanostructured II-V photovoltaics for solar concentrators application
Solasta, Inc., Newton, MA—High-efficiency solar power via separated photo and voltaic pathways
Solexant, Sunnyvale, CA—High-efficiency quantum dot solar cells based on multiple exciton generation
Soltaix, Los Altos, CA—Feasibility demonstration and performance optimization of a disruptive ultra-high-efficiency, thin-film, crystalline silicon solar cells for cost-effective, grid-connected electricity
Stanford University, Stanford, CA—CuIn(Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) nanowires solar cells
Stanford University, Stanford, CA—Nanostructured material for high-efficiency, low-cost, solution-processed photovoltaics
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA—Functional multi-layer solution processable polymer solar cells
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA—High-efficiency photovoltaics based on semiconductor nanostructures
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO—Exciton fission for an ultra-high-efficiency, low-cost solar cell
University of Delaware, Newark, DE—Novel approaches to wide-bandgap CuInSe₂-based solar cells
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL—Very high efficiency hybrid organic-inorganic photovoltaic cells
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL—Transfer-printed microcells with micro-optic concentrators for low-cost, high-performance photovoltaic modules
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI—Crystalline organic photovoltaic cells
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL—Next-generation CdTe technology substrates foil-based solar cells
University of Washington, Seattle, WA—Interfacial engineering for highly efficient π-conjugated polymer-based bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices
Voxtel, Inc., Beaverton, OR—Optimization of impact ionization in composite nanocrystal photovoltaic devices
Wakonda Technologies, Inc., Fairport, NY—Novel manufacturing of flexible III-V thin films