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Scaling of Dye Solar Cells: from single cells to modules and panels

Scaling of Dye Solar Cells: from single cells to modules and panels. Stefano Penna , Riccardo Riccitelli, Eleonora Petrolati, Andrea Reale, Thomas M. Brown, Aldo Di Carlo Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE) Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.

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Scaling of Dye Solar Cells: from single cells to modules and panels

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  1. Scaling of Dye Solar Cells: from single cells to modules and panels Stefano Penna, Riccardo Riccitelli, Eleonora Petrolati, Andrea Reale, Thomas M. Brown, Aldo Di Carlo Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE) Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” PLMCN10, Cuernavaca (Mex) 12-16 April, 2010

  2. Outline • Introduction to Dye Solar Cells • Optimization strategies for efficiency improvement • Upscaling: from DSC test cells to modules and panels • Conclusions

  3. Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy • Set in 2007 upon Lazio Region 3-year funding • 600 m2 lab facilities in the Hi-Tech District of Rome (Tecnopolo Tiburtino) • 50 people: 5 Prof, 5 Assistant Prof, 9 Post Doc, 20 PhD, 11 post-grad • Totally focused on Organic and Hybrid Photovoltaic technologies • Materials • Processing towards inline automation • Up-scaling towards large area devices • Modeling and simulation tools 51% • Technological Transfer to industry • Two spin-off companies hosted • Dyers for technology development • TiberCAD for modeling • Industrial partnership within Dyepower CHOSE http://www.tiberlab.org http://www.dyers.it

  4. Structure of a DSC Glass Substrate Transparent Conducting Oxide (FTO) Catalyst (Platinum, graphite) Electrolyte I-/I-3 Dye Molecules on TiO2 nanostructured TiO2 Transparent Conducting Oxide (FTO) Glass Substrate

  5. Working principle of a DSC No permanent chemical transformation in the materials composing the cell I3- + 2e- 2S + I3- S + hv S* S* S++ e−(TiO2) 2S+ + 3I- 3I- Titania (10 mm) Dye Electrolyte (50 mm) Catalyst (10 nm) I- I3- Red

  6. Unique aesthetical features Colour tuning, Transparency Customized patterning

  7. “New” manufacturing process Organic Electronics Conventional Electronics Conventional semiconductor industry Printing methods High temperature, doping, vacuum pocessing Liquid deposition Small Medium enterprises (some M€ fab) Large enterprises (tens of M€ fab)

  8. Other advantages of DSC technology • Lower fabrication cost than Silicon PV • In DSC cost imposed by processing • In Silicon PV 80% cost imposed by silicon wafer production • Ideal for Building Integration • Indipendent on lighting angle • Better working under scattered light than direct light • Availability for transparency, colour tuning, customized patterning • Higher energy produced during 1 year than Silicon PV upon the same Wp installed, despite lower Wp efficiency (11% vs 25% on lab cells) • Lower fab cost  lower entrance barrier for investors • Lower energy payback • High environmental compatibility

  9. Optimization parameters TiO2 Dye Easy Electrolyte Medium Counter-Electrode Critical Encapsulation Layout Difficult Printing Technique

  10. Dyes N719 Dye 11% Rutenium-Based Dyes Efficiency Organic Dyes Industrial Dyes 1% Natural Dyes

  11. Dye management Spectral response can be enlarged by a double-dye strategy involving an IR absorber beyond the green absorber (N719 and similar) Absorbance External Quantum Efficiency Colonna, Di Carlo, Bignozzi, Brown, Reale et al., under submission

  12. TiO2 management: standard performance

  13. TiO2 management S. Ito et al., Adv. Mater. 2006, 18, 1202–1205 Tayloring the TiO2 surface by the use of Scattering Layers (SLs) to trap light in the working electrode + 22.5% D. Colonna et al. / Superlattices and Microstructures 47 (2010) 197201

  14. Upscaling: from test cells to modules • In a test cell performances are ruled by materials • In large area cells and modules performances are ruled by technology • large area deposition • sealing and encapsulation • high series resistance of TCO electrodes (8 Wsq)  interconnections among cells needed Test cell (0.5 x 0.5 cm2) Module 10 x 20 cm2

  15.    + + + Module lay-out Z-configuration • series connection • ideal for BIPV • interconnection dispensing is critical W-configuration • series connection • no need for interconnection dispensing • not good for BIPV • problem with electrical balancing P-configuration • parallel connection • grid dispensing is less critical Pictures courtesy of

  16. Module performance • Micro vertical interconnections (20 micron) for high level of transparency 37 cm2 module with 4 Z micro-interconnected cells (cell area = 9.4 cm2). Micro-interconnections (Z)

  17. Large area: from modules to panels Panel 0.8 x 0.6 m2 Module 20 x 10 cm2

  18. String assembly: the beginning

  19. Panel lay-out First DSC panel @ CHOSE Panels 0.8 x 0.6 = 0.48 m2 20 Modules: 4 strings of 5 Modules Series Interconnected

  20. Strings composition Series interconnected DSC module  Nickel conducting paste + - - - + +

  21. + + DSC Strings performance • Higher current production in Z strings • Higher voltage in W strings (one cell more per module) • Better fitting in W strings W-type Z-type h = 5.03 % h = 3.34 %

  22. Panel assembly Strings are aligned on a glass slab, protected by soldering bypass diodes (one per module) and parallel connected by bus bar Glass lamination and Silicone fillingforprotection, UV filtering and higherresistancetoenvironmental and mechanical stress

  23. The result

  24. Panels performance • Outdoor testing at 1 sun (1000 W/m2) • Panel perpendicular at sun light

  25. PV CELL Traditional Photovoltaic Applications

  26. Innovative PV applications

  27. CHOSE within Dyepower Consortium • 10 M€ framework agreement for the industrialization of DSC based continous glass envelopes for real BIPV • Transparency and aesthetics have primary roles in the development step • Automation purposed approach as a fundamental guide line http://www.permasteelisa.it/

  28. Conclusions • Upscaling from cell to module is not trivial, but proper engineering on modules lay-out and deposition technologies can reduce the drop of efficiency • Final upscaling from module to string and panel is less difficult, even if additional aesthetical issues must be considered • Final target of 5% efficiency on DSC panel is not far • Long term stability is the last hurdle for commercialization … … but we’re workin on it !

  29. Acknowledgments Collaborators: • Univ. Ferrara, Chemistry Dep. (Prof. Bebo Bignozzi) • Sapienza Univ. Rome, Energy Dep. (Prof. Michelotti, Dr. Dominici) • Sapienza Univ. Rome, Chemistry Dep. (Prof. Decker) • Univ. Rome Tor Vergata, Physics Dep. (Maestro Pino Eramo) • Univ. Turin, Chemistry Dep. (Prof. Viscardi) • Regione Puglia, Ass. “Nessuno Tocchi Raffaele” • Univ. Sevilla, (Prof. Colodrero) All people @ CHOSE, special thanks to: • Daniele Colonna • Alessandro Lanuti • Simone Mastroianni • Lorenzo Dominici http://www.chose.it/

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