Thrusts
Thrust 1: Terawatt Scale Silicon Photovoltaics
- Objective: Engineer myriad solutions that collectively increase the efficiency of manufacturable PV modules by >5% (relative) or reduce their cost by >10% by 2020, and increase their sustainability consistent with 50% PV electricity penetration.
Research Faculty: Harry Atwater (CalTech), Stuart Bowden (ASU), Stephen Goodnick (ASU), Christiana Honsberg (ASU), Zachary Holman (ASU), Govindasamy Tamizhmani (ASU), Dragica Vasileska (ASU), Mariana Bertoni (ASU).
Thrust 2: Tandem Integration with Silicon Technologies
- Objective: Develop the materials, methods, and understanding to enable a >30%-efficient top-cell/silicon tandem solar module with a manufacturing cost <$100/m2 by 2030.
Research Faculty: Harry Atwater (CalTech), Ganesh Balakrishnan (UNM), Stephen Goodnick (ASU), Christiana Honsberg (ASU), William Shafarman (UD), Nikolai Faleev (ASU), Alexandre Freundlich (UH), Mariana Bertoni (ASU), Fernando Ponce (ASU), David Smith (ASU), Yong-Hang Zhang (ASU).
Thrust 3: Fundamentals for High Efficiency Photovoltaics
- Objective: Investigate transformative PV principles, devices, and system design concepts that result in a game-changing effect on efficiency and manufacturability, through an integrative approach of emerging materials, defect control, interface and surface passivation, contacts, light management, modeling, characterization, and proof-of concept experimentation that cut across PV technologies, to establish pathways enabling >40% efficiency at a manufacturing cost <$40/m2 by 2040.
Research Faculty: Harry Atwater (CalTech), Robert Birkmire (UD), Christiana Honsberg (ASU), William Shafarman (UD), Nikolai Faleev (ASU), Mariana Bertoni (ASU), Fernando Ponce (ASU), David Smith (ASU), Zachary Holman (ASU), Yong-Hang Zhang (ASU), Alan Doolittle (GaTech), Robert Opila (UD), Raymond Kostuk (UA), Babatunde Ogunnaike (UD), Dragica Vasileska (ASU).