Narec . New and Renewable Energy Centre :: Narec is increasingly recognised as the national centre for the UK dedicated to accelerating the deployment and grid integration of renewable energy and low carbon generation technologies, utilising offshore wind, wave, tidal, solar PV and thermal power.

PV Projects

Highpoint - High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells with PECVD Dielectric Rear Surface Passivation

March 2008 to March 2011. Total Project Fund – £800k

• Technology Strategy Board 3 year research and development project
• Project partners: - NDSL and Heriot Watt University

 Project Objectives

• Optimisation of low surface recombination velocity (SRV) passivating layers using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD)
• Development of an industrially compatible process to achieve back contact through rear passivating layer using laser firing and electroless plating
• Production of well passivated 20% efficiency solar cells on 150μm monocrystalline wafers at 30% lower cost than the standard LGBC process

NDSL achievements to date (as of Nov 2009)

• Development of an in-house passivation technique to facilitate the development of rear contacting process
• Initial cell test results on cells produced with two different rear contacting processes using laser firing technique
• Detailed experimentation to achieve robust electroless plating to various rear contact schemes
• Demonstrated 150μm thin solar cells with >16% efficiency

Within PV R and D Projects

• Lab2line
• Apollon
• ASPIS
• Highpoint
• Havemor
• (Go back to: PV R and D Projects)

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