The workshop brought together leading researchers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industry experts, and potential end-users to discuss and collaborate on bridging the gap between groundbreaking research and the commercial viability of next-generation PV solutions. The workshop led to productive discussions on the critical hurdles to commercialization and underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among research institutions, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to propel the sector forward.
Organized by the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA-PV) in collaboration with imec, TNO, HZB, VTT, CSEM, and CHOSE, the workshop, titled “Boosting the Exploitation and Commercialisation of Emerging PV Technologies”, focused on the critical challenges that must be addressed before these innovative PV technologies can be successfully commercialized. The event provided a platform to explore both the technical and business hurdles in the field and identified key opportunities for the next phase of PV development. Over the course of three engaging days, BECOME PV hosted six comprehensive sessions, covering a broad spectrum of critical topics, including lessons from past experiences, insights into emerging technologies, sector-specific applications, cost competitiveness, large-area processing, manufacturing setup, life cycle assessments (LCA), critical raw materials, toxicity, bankability and business models, and the importance of stability, reliability, and circularity.
Key Takeaways from the Workshop:
1) Investment & Support: Perovskite PV has the potential to revitalize PV manufacturing in the EU. However, the current market conditions make attracting private investment in PV manufacturing challenging. To overcome this, there is a pressing need for increased private investment in perovskite PV technologies, supported by strategic EU funding to drive innovation and commercialization. To accelerate the growth of this industry, government support is essential.
2) Strengthening the EU Value Chain: Strengthening the entire PV value chain—ranging from raw materials to equipment and manufacturing processes—is crucial for the future of the sector within the EU. Chinese equipment suppliers provide turnkey manufacturing lines with relatively short lead times, presenting a significant competitive landscape. To address this, EU-based manufacturers must prioritize innovation and scaling up their capabilities to remain effective in the market.
3) Tandem Technology: With falling module prices and high balance-of-system costs, the demand for high-performing PV technologies is growing. Tandem solar cells hold the key to enhancing efficiency. Both 2-terminal (2T) and 4-terminal (4T) perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells hold the promise for high-efficiency photovoltaics (PV) and can be attractive for different application scenarios, though 4T tandem PV systems are predicted to be manufactured at relatively higher costs versus 2T counterparts.
4) Flexible PV for Niche Markets: Flexible photovoltaic technology is emerging as a promising solution for tapping into niche markets, offering greater adaptability in various applications. However, flexible modules are often costly due to the use of expensive barrier foils for encapsulation. More research initiatives are needed to develop new cheaper barrier foils and encapsulant materials to ensure reliability.
5) Manufacturing Processes: For large-scale production of perovskite photovoltaics, scalable and reliable high-throughput processing methods are essential for commercial viability. However, it remains uncertain whether wet (solution-based) or dry (vacuum-based) processes will dominate as the mainstream approach. Vacuum processing has garnered increasing interest due to its scalability and reproducibility, making it a popular choice for depositing transport layers and electrodes. Nevertheless, the capital expenditure and throughput of vacuum processes remain critical challenges.
6) Recycling and Circularity: The principles of recycling and circularity present a significant opportunity for perovskite PV. Eco-design and distributed manufacturing strategies should be integrated into PV development to ensure sustainability. An assessment of waste management during the production process also needs to be conducted.
7) Stability Platform at the European Level: Ensuring the long-term reliability of Perovskite PV technology is of paramount importance; focused testing on stability and performance is required to meet commercial standards. A European-level stability platform should be created to standardize testing and certification processes for Perovskite PV.
Organizing Team: Ivan Gordon and Martina Campajola (EERA-PV); Tom Aernouts, Anurag Krishna, Yinghuan Kuang and Aranzazu Aguirre (IMEC); Aldo Di Carlo (CHOSE, CNR-ISM); Sjoerd Veenstra (TNO); Quentin Jeangros (CSEM); Riikka Suhonen (VTT); Eva Unger and Natalia Maticiuc (HZB)
Supported by seven Horizon European projects (LAPERITIVIO, SUPERTANDEM, NEXUS, VIPERLAB, PEARL, PEPPERONI, TRIUMPH) and the company Lumartix SA (Switzerland) For further details, please visit the EERA PV website: BECOME PV Workshop.
