Credentials

Current recycling practices for end-of-life PV modules are underdeveloped and recover only small quantities of low-value materials. To be economically viable and sustainable, PV waste recycling must recover all material components to a quality suitable for reuse in new PV modules, with minimal impact. The APOLLO project will develop a circular approach to link traditional recycling, future production, and future recycling.

Until now, the purchase decision for solar modules has been primarily driven by price. Evaluation criteria such as recyclability, CO2 emissions during production, or the avoidance of environmentally harmful substances play a subordinate role. An eco-design regulation developed at EU level with an associated energy label for solar modules is intended to keep products that exceed certain limits off the market and provide customers with information on the sustainability of solar modules. The aim of the research project is to develop sustainable solar modules, manufacturing and recycling processes and demonstrate them on a production scale that exceed the planned EU regulation on ecodesign and energy labeling.

The quality and workmanship of the encapsulation and backsheet films play a significant role in the reliability of a solar module. Only when the quality, workmanship, and compatibility of the films are right can the interconnected solar cells be protected from environmental influences and the modules remain operational for decades. The Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP is working with partners to investigate innovative encapsulation and backsheet films for PV modules that are expected to have a service life of at least 40 years.

The KliMaTE project is researching innovative material systems for photovoltaic systems that are specifically tailored to climatic conditions. The aim is to significantly improve the reliability and service life of PV systems through intelligent diagnostics and simulation-based predictions. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining materials research, environmental analysis, and digital technologies to provide long-term support for the energy transition in Saxony-Anhalt.

Photovoltaic modules have been making a significant contribution to improving the energy balance of buildings for years. Now that the cost of purchasing modules has fallen rapidly, new demands are being placed on the design and layout of solar modules. A joint project by the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP is pursuing new approaches. The project partners want to develop coloring concepts for facade solar modules with aesthetically appealing and customizable designs that reduce color-related energy yield losses.

Bubble-free electrolysis promises to reduce energy consumption by up to 15% compared to proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. The aim of HollowEL's follow-up project is to demonstrate this improved energy efficiency using a demonstrator that is yet to be developed.

PSC Polysilane Chemistry GmbH manufactures a complete portfolio of processes for the synthesis, separation, and purification of high-performance materials for high-tech applications. To ensure purity, Fraunhofer CSP has developed a process for determining impurities in the ppt range (pg/g sample weight), enabling PSC GmbH to now include a certificate of analysis with every batch of HCDS sold.

Solar cells made in Europe can set themselves apart from the competition thanks to highly efficient technologies and compliance with environmentally friendly production processes and standards. This is where the EU-funded PILATUS joint project comes in, which aims to create three digitized pilot lines for the production of silicon wafers, solar cells, and PV modules in Europe by 2025. The goal is to transfer the latest back-contact technology for heterojunction solar cells into mass production. The Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP is contributing its expertise in inline and offline diagnostics and metrology of solar cells using its digitally controlled measurement and classification platform.

The ANOMALOUS project is conducting research to close the existing normative gap in the evaluation of backsheets for photovoltaic modules and to establish uniform criteria for the evaluation of anomalies.

The number of photovoltaic systems installed worldwide has risen sharply over the last 10 to 15 years. However, as operating times increase under harsh environmental conditions, various anomalies and faults are becoming increasingly apparent in the components. Cell cracks and microcracks in crystalline silicon PV modules are among these anomalies and can impair module performance. Despite various fault catalogs and classifications, there are currently no generally accepted, binding evaluation standards or forecasts that describe the impact on a system's energy yield. The PV-Riss funding project is dedicated to closing this normative gap.