The solar industry is no stranger to complex political, regulatory and supply-chain hurdles. From material shortages to tariffs, both real and threatened – these challenges are often used as foundations for arguments against its validity. However, since 2020 solar power has risen to become the cheapest energy form on the planet. Of the wind, solar and other renewables, nearly two-thirds – 62% – were cheaper than the cheapest new fossil fuel, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Scientific and commercial progress remains buoyant, with an increasing number of solar farms progressing despite the ever-changing challenges they face. Innovative breakthroughs in key materials like glass, silicon and polymers are driving the technology forward. Scientists rely on analytical solutions which can test for the desired properties needed for solar components including cells, wafers and interconnections.

In this pv magazine Webinar, PerkinElmer will outline the state of contemporary research into solar innovation and the main challenges faced by the individuals trying to push the resource to its full potential, as well as the analytical solutions that are available and emerging.

Dr. Gernot Oreski will join the discussion to offer his perspectives on the potential of using polymers in PV applications, as well as the benefits unlocked by using different molecular spectroscopy (UV, FT-IR) and thermal analysis testing solutions, all of which have the power to wildly innovate and change the course of the solar module market.

Building on the conversation of UV analytical testing in solar module innovation will be Peter van Nijnatten, who will take a higher-level look at UV applications in solar cells. Krystelle Mafina will discuss the pros and cons of instituting these cutting-edge technologies, and best practices for successful implementation for R&D and QA/QC laboratories.

pv magazine Webinar content

• Insights into current and new scientific developments and challenges in PV
• Explorations into high-end UV applications for solar cells
• How to identify and characterize PV polymers
• Discussions on variable angle spectroscopy in solar cell development
• See how experts perform optical characterization on solar cell cover-glass
• The pros and cons of employing and combining different UV, FT-IR and Thermal techniques
• Q&A

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar through a chat window. Tim Sylvia from pv magazine USA will be the moderator of this webinar.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.

Speakers

Lucy Jenner | Segment Manager of Industrial, PerkinElmer

Dr. Gernot Oreski | Division Manager for Sustainable Polymer Solutions, Polymer Competence Center Leoben

Gernot Oreski holds a PhD in Polymer Engineering & Science Degree at Montanuniversität Leoben. Dr. Oreski is Division Manager at the Polymer Competence Center Leoben (Austria) and heads the »Sustainable Polymer Solutions« division. He has over 18 years of expertise in polymers for photovoltaics. His main fields of research are aging behavior and long term reliability of polymeric materials and components for demanding applications such as PV modules.

Peter van Nijnatten | R&D Director, OMT Solutions

Peter has a PhD in measurement and modeling of optical and thermal radiation properties and is the founder of OMT Solutions – a company specialized in optical measurements and testing. With more than 40 years in applied physics and engineering, he leads a team of engineers and material scientists who collaborate with academic and industrial research institutes for innovative optical measurement solutions which benefit industries in optics, glass, coatings, space and solar.

Moderators

Tim Sylvia | Editor, pv magazine USA