Our Swiss colleagues at EMPA have recently achieved a new efficiency record of 21.4% for flexible CIGS solar cell on polymer film. Solar cells of this type are especially suited for applications on roofs, transport vehicles or mobile devices.
CIGS Thin-Film Photovoltaics is indispensible for prosperity, energy transition and enabling net zero emission targets within the EU. CIGS solar modules are produced with small amounts of indium. The capacity for indium production in Europe is sufficient for more than 100 GW PV production per year with the potential to meet Terawatt challenges in a cost-effective manner. A number of renowned European and US research institute have compiled information from recent studies and publications showing that indium should be considered an “earth abundant element” in order to facilitate research progress in EU countries.
German-Chines joint venture NICE Solar Energy GmbH has achieved a new world record efficiency for CIGS thin-film solar modules with 17.6 percent. This efficiency record, confirmed by TÜV Rheinland on a module surface area of 120 x 60 centimeters, was achieved on production equipment of Manz at the R&D site of NICE Solar Energy in Schwäbisch Hall. For more details, see news articles by Manz AG and pv magazine.
IW-CIGSTech 8 has been a great success, presenting hot CIGS thin-film solar cell research and industry news to a packed auditorium in Stuttgart, Germany:
International IW-CIGS-Tech 8 workshop on May 30 in Stuttgart to focus on latest advances
Global demand for photovoltaic systems is rising sharply. CIGS thin-film modules have become a hot topic for the solar industry. International experts will convene in Stuttgart on May 30, 2017, at the annual IW-CIGSTech workshop to discuss past and potential future technical and industrial advances in this solar technology. The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) are hosting the eighth installment of this workshop, which caters to scientists, engineers and industry specialists. Continue reading Register now for IW-CIGSTech 8 – the international workshop by HZB and ZSW
The international workshop on CIGS thin-film technology, IW-CIGSTech 8, has appeared on the horizon: The workshop jointly hosted by Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, ZSW) will take place on May 30th, 2017, at ZSW in Stuttgart, Germany
We alread have a list of 10 confirmed speakers, including representative of all important CIGS manufacturers; please refer to the workshop website.
Information for registration will be published in the first half of March.
Many CIGS experts are aware of the tradition of the International Workshop on CIGS Solar Cell Technology (IW-CIGSTech) usually being held at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB). For the scope of last year’s event, see the IW-CIGSTech 6 website.
In 2016, HZB and ZSW will be joining forces to offer IW-CIGSTech 7 as a parallel event at the 32nd European PV Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, EU-PVSEC, taking place in Munich, Germany, in June. IW-CIGSTech 7 will take place as a full-day meeting on Thursday, 23rd of June, 2016, including an evening event in downtown Munich.
IW-CIGSTech 7 will be an international workshop focussing on CIGS solar cell technology, combining scientific and technological aspects with their industrial applications. The workshop will consist of invited talks, discussions and poster presentations. Please note that the programme of the workshop will be fully complementary to the main Conference programme topics.
The organizers – Rutger Schlatmann (HZB), Michael Powalla (ZSW), and Hans-Werner Schock – would be delighted to welcome you in Munich for a day of lively discussions on CIGS technology topics. Further details will be published soon.
If you would like to be put on the workshop mailing list, please contact Claudia Brusdeylins.