After 4 years of successful research, development and collaboration, the CHEETAH consortium will hold its last events at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) between 29th November and 1st December, 2017. Besides the final General Assembly of CHEETAH project partners, the public “European Solar Technology Forum – From Research to Industrial Application” will take place on 30th November, 2017. At this event, experts from industry and research will discuss how to implement and continue the innovations of solar technologies in the years to come. This follows with the meeting of EERA JP PV steering committee meeting.
In the course of CHEETAH, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology was a core partner and responsible for extensive characterization and quality assurance tests for PV modules made of novel thin wafer cells which were developed by the project consortium. The analyses were non-destructive and appropriate for the new technology. In addition, and based on the mechanical analyses by AIT, a Finite Element Method (FEM) model of novel back contact PV modules with ultra-thin solar cells was improved and validated by other consortium partner. The final research results will be presented on 30th November to the general public and further implementation will be discussed with industry representatives.
Moreover, AIT as a member of EERA JP PV Steering committee plays an important role in PV research coordination at the European level in the frame work of EERA Joint Programme on Photovoltaic Solar Energy, and coordinates JP PV sub-programme 5 ‘PV Systems’.
Figures a) and b) show characterization of developed modules with two different fast, non-destructive methods. The optical measurements provide high resolution images with a two-dimensional distribution of the characteristics of the PV modules. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement №09788.
CHEETAH (Cost-reduction through material optimisation and Higher EnErgy outpuT of solAr pHotovoltaic modules) – is a combined collaborative project (CP) and coordination and support action (CSA) funded under the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme. With 34 partners and 16 nationalities represented in the consortium, CHEETAH's ambition is to research and develop technology and foster innovative manufacturing capabilities and photovoltaic products in order to develop European innovation, as well as, technological and industrial capacity.
Photo credits: AIT