"Center for Highly Efficient Solar Cells"

Visualization of the "Center for Highly Efficient Solar Cells" on Berliner Allee at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE campus (©Fraunhofer ISE)

Foundation stone laying ceremony for the Center for Highly Efficient Solar Cells at Fraunhofer ISE. L to R: Georg Brechensbauer, Brechensbauer Weinhart + Partner Architects, Prof. Alfred Gossner, Executive Board of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, State Secretary Günther Leßnerkraus, Ministry of Economics, Labor and Housing, Baden-Württemberg, Prof. Margit Zacharias, Vice Rector for Innovation and Technology Transfer, University of Freiburg, Prof. Stefan Glunz, Head of Photovoltaics, Fraunhofer ISE, Prof. Hans-Martin Henning, Director of Fraunhofer ISE, Dr. Andreas Bett, Director of Fraunhofer ISE (©Fraunhofer ISE)

For over 30 years, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has been one of the world's leading research institutions for solar energy. In photovoltaics, the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy, the institute repeatedly achieves world record efficiencies for various
solar cell technologies. This makes a significant contribution to Germany's international leadership in research and development
in this field. To further expand this leadership position, the institute is receiving a new building equipped with a cleanroom tailored to the new technological
challenges. On October 4, 2017, the foundation stone was laid for the "Center for High-Efficiency Solar Cells" in
Freiburg. The federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg are making a statement about the importance of
photovoltaic research in Germany through the funding of this building.

Leading position of German photovoltaic research

The international photovoltaic market grew by more than 30 percent annually over the past 15 years, while the costs for PV modules decreased by more than 80 percent in the same period. However, the potential of photovoltaics is far from exhausted; research and industry are working intensively on further
efficiency improvements and cost reductions for solar cells, also addressing aspects of sustainability in manufacturing processes.

Germany remains at the forefront worldwide in research and plant construction for photovoltaics. Recently, Fraunhofer ISE achieved several record values for solar cell efficiencies, including the world record for multicrystalline silicon solar cells at 22.3 percent, an efficiency of 25.8 percent for a monocrystalline cell based on TOPCon technology, and beyond the material limit of silicon—31.3 percent for a tandem solar cell consisting of III-V multi-junction cells on a silicon cell. The institute also holds the absolute international record for photovoltaic efficiency at 46.1 percent with III-V concentrator multi-junction cells.

Adapting infrastructure to challenges

Building on this solid foundation, a new building called the "Center for High-Efficiency Solar Cells" is being constructed at Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg. It will replace the aging, renovation-needing cleanroom used for solar cell development and will be perfectly prepared for the next generations of solar cells. "We are very pleased that with this new cleanroom equipment, we can adapt the infrastructure for photovoltaic research to meet the new technological challenges," says institute director Dr. Andreas Bett, adding: "Our thanks go to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of Baden-Württemberg for funding the new laboratory building. This also reflects the important role of German research activities in the field of photovoltaics." Professor Hans-Martin Henning, also director of the institute and part of the new dual leadership of Fraunhofer ISE, emphasizes the outstanding role of photovoltaics in a future sustainable energy system based on renewable energies: "The results of our energy system analyses, aimed at cost-effective implementation of the energy transition, clearly show that photovoltaics, together with wind energy, will be the main pillars of our future energy supply."

Baden-Württemberg's Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Housing, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, emphasized that Fraunhofer ISE makes a "significant contribution to the affordability and success of the energy transition" and has a worldwide reputation for solar research and industry. "The new center for high-efficiency solar cells is a building block to maintain this position."

The federal government and the state are providing a total of 32.6 million euros for the "Center for High-Efficiency Solar Cells" project. Baden-Württemberg thereby also expresses its strength as a location for the photovoltaic industry. On October 4, 2017, the foundation stone was laid for the "Center for High-Efficiency Solar Cells" on Berlin Avenue in Freiburg. Completion is planned for the end of 2019.