Photovoltaic (PV) technology will play a prominent role in a decarbonised and decentralised energy supply. To date, the PV market has been dominated by silicon technology, which has only one absorber and is approaching its practical efficiency limit of around 27%. The next-generation photovoltaic technologies currently under development combine two or more absorber materials, with tandems of perovskites and silicon being considered particularly promising. The efficiency potential of 42 % and above promises a further reduction in the levelised cost of electricity and a reduction in PV area requirements. For this reason, intensive research is being carried out on this technology worldwide. A key requirement for new absorber materials is sufficient long-term stability, which still needs to be improved in the case of perovskites.
The ‘NextGenPV’ research network funded by zukunft.niedersachsen is researching the issues associated with the development and application of the next generation of PV, particularly with regard to aspects in Lower Saxony. To this end, the expertise of Leibnitz University Hannover, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal and the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln is being pooled in this field and supplemented by the expertise of the Helmholtz Centre Berlin and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The project is managed by the Leibniz Research Centre Energy 2050. It consists of three sub-projects. Sub-project 1 is focussing in particular on the fundamentals and possible improvements to the stability of perovskites. Sub-project 2 focusses on the demonstration of possible solutions in highly efficient solar cells and modules. Sub-project 3 deals with environmental aspects, yield forecasts and recycling, focussing on an application in Lower Saxony.