Research Projects

Project in the Business Area: Photovoltaics, Topic: Perovskite- and Organic Photovoltaics, Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules Duration: 09/2019 - 08/2022

Project in the Business Area Photovoltaics; Topic: Silicon Photovoltaics; Field of Work: Feedstock, Crystallization and Wafering; Duration: October 2010 - September 2013

Photonics and optoelectronics are key technologies for the digitalization. The design of corresponding semiconductor devices as well as the modeling of epitaxial processes can still benefit significantly from artificial intelligence (AI) methods in the context of Industry 4.0. Ubiquitous digitization and automation, as well as the Internet of Things, require constant energy and data streams. The emerging technology of photonic power transmission, also known as power-by-light enables power and data transmission to be combined in a single optical link. By using optical telecommunication wavelengths around 1.5 µm, the applications of such power-by-light systems can be extended to remote locations, enabling unlimited remote power supply. AI-assisted approaches to photonic power converter (PPC) design and fabrication are critical for further cross-industry application of photonic power and data transmission. | Duration: 04/2021 - 03/2024

Project in the Business Area: Photovoltaics; Topic: III-V and Concentrator Photovoltaics; Field of Work: III-V Epitaxy and Solar Cells; Duration: 11/2018 - 10/2021

The costs of ground-mounted PV systems continue to fall. Experts forecast that in about five to eight years, such PV installations will become cost-effective even without the financial support of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG). Decreasing costs spurn on new types of business models for land use and as a result new challenges arise. Increased competition for land use, for example, can cause the rental price for land to rise. The innovation group APV-RESOLA is therefore developing and investigating a new type of PV system that ensures the coexistence of agriculture use and electricity production on the same piece of land. | Duration: 03/2015 - 01/2021

In the age of digitization, the question arises as to how established printing technologies such as the flatbed screen printing process can be transferred into the digital space. Key challenges such as reducing structure widths or maximizing production throughput could be handled more cost-effectively and faster with the help of a digital twin. The outlined project represents an approach to digitizing the flatbed screen printing process and includes the optimization of production parameters using CFD simulation and artificial intelligence, as well as the integration of a feedback loop for live process control and adjustment. The project consortium covers a broad range of the production chain and thus enables optimal collaboration. | Duration: 04/2023 - 03/2026

A Plus-Energy Building certificate was awarded within the framework of the Swiss Solar Prize for the renovation of an apartment building in Zurich, where a challenging example of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) was designed with support from Fraunhofer ISE. By integrating photovoltaics into the roof and facade surfaces, a Plus-Energy standard was achieved, while preserving the Art Nouveau architecture. Simulation models of Fraunhofer ISE were used for the detailed system design with respect to yield and operational safety. These models consider partial shading, different module orientations and module sizes using a 3D model. The renovation was completed in April 2015 and the BIPV contributes with its yields significantly to achieving the Plus-Energy standard, as predicted. | Duration: 2015 - April 2016

When integrating solar cells into a standard module, losses occur at optical, electrical, and inactive surfaces, but also optical coupling gains. For this reason, todays modules often feature a lower output than the sum of the individual cell outputs. The individual gain and loss mechanisms from cell to module are analyzed and purposefully optimized in the “CTM100+«” project. The objective is the development and production of modules, whose output under STC conditions is greater than the sum of the initial cell outputs: CTM>100 %. In cooperation with the project partners, industry-relevant module designs and materials are developed, analyzed, and realized in large-scale modules. | Duration: 04/2016 - 06/2019

Customer-specifically produced PV modules for building integration (BIPV) are developed and tested in pilot applications of the “Construct-PV” EU project. The project focuses on BIPV applications in the opaque area of the building envelope. The development priorities are high yield, appealing aesthetics, and low costs. Here, not only the production costs of the modules, but also the planning, installation, and operation costs are considered. Particular attention is paid to the amortization of the additional investment costs [€/m2] that are incurred due to the integration of the “solar power generation” function into the building envelope. In the project, several patents were filed for new developments. In this article, newly BIPV slates and their promising electrical behavior under climatic and mechanical loads are presented. | Duration: February 2013 - January 2018

How should PV trackers optimally track? This question is being researched in the project »DeepTrack« together with PV Zimmermann Tracker GmbH. In DeepTrack, the latest AI and power plant simulation methods are applied to maximize the yield of complex power plants, such as Agri-PV power plants. The methods are implemented and investigated in a pilot plant at the solar test field in Merdingen. | Duration: 03/2023 - 02/2025