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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	EP/T028513/1
Title	Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics - Enhancing UK Capability in Solar
Status	Started
Energy Categories	Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics) 100%;
Research Types	Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics) 50%; PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 50%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 90%; Other (Energy technology information dissemination) 10%;
Principal Investigator	Professor J Durrant No email address given Engineering Swansea University
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	EPSRC
Start Date	01 July 2020
End Date	30 June 2025
Duration	60 months
Total Grant Value	£5,991,738
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	Wales
Programme	Energy : Energy
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Professor J Durrant , Engineering, Swansea University (99.988%)
	Other Investigator	Dr W Tsoi , Engineering, Swansea University (0.001%) Dr M Carnie , Engineering, Swansea University (0.001%) Dr J Baker , Engineering, Swansea University (0.001%) Dr hjs Snaith , Oxford Physics, University of Oxford (0.001%) Professor J Durrant , Chemistry, Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr MJ Heeney , Chemistry, Imperial College London (0.001%) Professor J Nelson , Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr JS Kim , Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London (0.001%) Dr PRF Barnes , Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London (0.001%) Professor P Meredith , Physics, Swansea University (0.001%) Dr A Armin , Physics, Swansea University (0.001%) Dr T Watson , Engineering, Swansea University (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , National Physical Laboratory (NPL) (0.000%) Project Contact , Airbus UK Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Polysolar Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Cisco Systems UK (0.000%) Project Contact , NSG Group (UK) (0.000%) Project Contact , Ossila Ltd. (0.000%) Project Contact , BIPVCo (0.000%) Project Contact , Tata Group UK (0.000%) Project Contact , ARMOR (0.000%) Project Contact , CSEM Brasil P&D (0.000%) Project Contact , Flexink (0.000%)
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Objectives
Abstract	Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is becoming a major source of renewable energy around the globe, with the International Energy Agency predicting it to be the largest contributor to renewables by 2024. This uptake is driven by the building of large PV power plants in regions of high solar resource, and also by the deployment of so-called distributed PV on the roofs of homes and industrial sites. The dominant PV technology to date has been based upon the crystalline semiconductor silicon. The production of silicon PV panels has been commoditised for large-scale manufacturing with costs reducing by a factor of ten in under a decade.Our research addresses the next generation of printed PV technologies which could deliver solar energy with far greater functional and processing flexibility than c-Si or traditional compound semiconductors, enabling tuneable design to meet the requirements of market applications inaccessible to current PV technologies. In particular, we seek to advance photovoltaics based upon organic and perovskite semiconductors - materials which can be processed from solution into the simplest possible solar cell structures, hence reducing cost and embodied energy from the manufacturing. These new technologies are still in the early stages of development with many fundamental scientific and engineering challenges still to be addressed. These challenges will be the foci of our research agenda, as will the development of solar cells for specific applications for which there is currently no optimal technological solution, but which need attributes such as light weight, flexible form factor, tuned spectral response or semi-transparency. These are unique selling points of organic and perovskite solar PV but fall outside the performance (and often cost) windows of the traditional technologies. Our specific target sectors are power for high value communications (for example battery integratable solar cells for unmanned aerial vehicles), and improved energy and resource efficiency power for the built environment (including solar windows and local for 'internet of things' devices). In essence we seek to extend the reach and application of PV beyond the provision of stationary energy.To deliver our ambitious research and technology development agenda we have assembled three world-renowned groups in next generation PV researchers at Swansea University, Imperial College London and Oxford University. All are field leaders and the assembled team spans the fundamental and applied science and engineering needed to answer both the outstanding fundamental questions and reduce the next generation PV technology to practise. Our research programme called Application Targeted Integrated Photovoltaics also involves industrial partners from across the PV supply chain - early manufacturers of the PV technology, component suppliers and large end users who understand the technical and cost requirements to deliver a viable product. The programme is primarily motivated by the clear need to reduce CO2 emissions across our economies and societies and our target sectors are of high priority and potential in this regard. It is also important for the UK to maintain an internationally competitive capability (and profile) in the area of next generation renewables. As part of our agenda we will be ensuring the training of scientists and engineers equipped with the necessary multi-disciplinary skills and closely connected to the emerging industry and its needs to ensure the UK stays pre-eminent in next generation photovoltaics.
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Added to Database	13/07/21