23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: Endgame

What about the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC)?

In the presentations following the announcement of the 23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: Poster Award Winners, Executive Conference Director Dr. Peter Helm updated the 23rd EU PVSEC statistics. The Conference had 4212 Delegates from 87 countries led by Germany (1100), the US (630), and Spain (319). The Spanish participation was light because so many Spaniards were working to complete photovoltaic installations before the current Feed-in Tariff law expires on September 28, 2008.

Dr. Helm observed that although China did not account for even one percent (1%) of the Conference delegates, Chinese companies exhibited on ten percent (10%) of the available Exhibition stand space behind only Germany (30%) and Spain (12%).

Billed as “The most inspiring Platform for the global PV Solar Sector”, Dr. Helm tipped the details for the 24th EU PVSEC:

CCH-Congress Centre and International Fair
Hamburg, Germany
Conference September 21 – 25, 2009
Exhibition September 21 – 24, 2009

Sorry for holding off on this since last week. For once, this EU PVSEC will not conflict with the Labor Day holiday in the United States! Start planning now with a visit to the Hamburg Tourismus GmbH (Deutsch) website, Hamburg’s official tourism pages.

With the Closing Session running into extended time, Dr. Wolfgang Palz refrained from any closing remarks and thanked the participants, scientists, and organizers including Conference General Chairman Dr. Daniel Lincot, Technical Programme Chairman Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, Executive Conference Director Dr. Peter Helm, and Dr. Herbert-Peter Grimm. Then Dr. Lincot closed the 23rd EU PVSEC.

And, yes, Iberia Airlines has still =not= delivered my checked bag to me almost twelve (12) days since my completed round trip started! Perhaps I just missed it in Valencia before traveling to Madrid the afternoon prior to my return flight. At this point, I won’t believe my luggage exists until it is reunited with me. Does Ibysmal sound like an appropriate nickname for Iberia?

23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: Poster Award Winners

23rd EU PVSEC Poster Award Winners Group Photo

After the 23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: Technical Highlights, Dr. Herbert-Peter Grimm presented the Poster (Visual Presentation) Awards for the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC).

Dr. Grimm said all the contributors deserved a bronze medal, but the Poster Award Committee was challenged to select the winners from so many good papers. Noting the use of dice might have been helpful on occasion, Dr. Grimm mentioned two key criteria in the poster evaluation process:

1. Is there an immediate desire to obtain the paper reprint?
2. The poster does not replace the original paper submission.

The Poster Award winners arrange by Topic area are as follows.

Topic 1 - Advanced Photovoltaics

1CV.1.39 H. Kampwerth, E. Pink, Y. Augarten, T. Trupke, M.A. Green & R.A. Bardos
University of NSW, Sydney, Australia
M. Kasemann
Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg, Germany
Advances in Luminescence Based Series Resistance Imaging on Silicon Solar Cells

1CV.2.67 V.M. Andreev, V.P. Khvostikov, S.V. Sorokina, N.S. Potapovich, R.V. Levin & M.Z. Shvarts
Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia
GaSb Arrays for Solar Thermophotovoltaic System

Topic 2 - Wafer-Based Silicon Solar Cells and Materials Technology

2CV.4.36 S. Dubois, N. Enjalbert, F. Servant, J.P. Garandet & R. Monna
CEA, Grenoble, France
J. Kraiem
Apollon Solar, Lyon, France
Beneficial Effects of Dopant Compensation on Carrier Lifetime in Metallurgical Grade Silicon

2DV.1.58 M. Ezquer, I. Gavilanes, E. Zugasti, J.M. Cuadra, M. Murillo, A. Turumbay & A.R. Lagunas
CENER, Sarriguren, Spain
Buckling Test: A Useful Tool for a Mechanical Characterization of Silicon Wafers

Topic 3 - Thin Films

3AV.1.48 O. Isabella & M. Zeman
Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
A. Campa
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
M.C.R. Heijna & W.J. Soppe
ECN, Petten, The Netherlands
A.J.M. van Erven, R.H. Franken & H. Borg
OM&T, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Diffraction Gratings for Light Trapping in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

3BV.5.38 H.P. Huber, F. Herrnberger, S. Kery & A. Keil
Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany
S. Zoppel
Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Dornbirn, Austria
Ultrafast Laser Structuring of CIS Thin-Film Solar With Industrial Relevant Process Speed

3AV.2.17 S. Schicho, S. Muthmann, D. Das, T. Kilper, J. Kirchhoff, W. Reetz & A. Gordijn
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Thin (< 1 μm) a-Si/ μc-Si Tandem Solar Cells for High Stable Efficiences

Topic 4 - Components for PV Systems

4AV.3.28 B. Lalaguna, P. Sánchez-Friera, F. Ropero, J. Gil & J. Alonso
Isofotón, Málaga, Spain
Comparison of Moisture Ingress in PV Modules With Different Backsheets Using Humidity Sensors

Dr. Grimm said this paper’s award was forfeit since the winner(s) or a representative was not present to accept the award. Scientists are harsh!
4BV.1.30 I. Möbius
United Solar Ovonic, Frankfurt, Germany
M. van Cleef
United Solar Ovonic, Verona, Italy
A. Chang
United Solar Ovonic, Auburn Hills, USA
D. Chianese & I. Pola
SUPSI, Lugano, Switzerland
Comparison of Yield, Installed Power and Costs of a Typical Installation for Flat Roofs for Triple-Junction and Crystalline Modules

Topic 5 - PV Systems

5BV.2.67 M. Kirschner, D. Hornbachner, D. Dobozanov & D. Malin
HEI Consulting, Vienna, Austria
PV-Tubes With Advanced High-Efficiency c-Si Cells for Solar Lights

Topic 6 - PV Deployment

6DV.4.19 D.K. Munro
Halcrow, Barrow, United Kingdom
E.J. Rudkin
Halcrow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
B. Gaidon
HESPUL, Villeurbanne, France
S. Linder
Ecofys, Köln, Germany
M. Elswijk
ECN, Petten, The Netherlands
E. ter Horst
Horisun, Utrecht, The Netherlands
I.B. Hagemann
Architekturbüro Hagemann, Aachen, Germany
D. Suna
Vienna University of Technology, Austria
Lessons Learnt from Photovoltaics in Urban Areas

Since the Closing Session was jam packed this year, I decided to break up my regular post or two into separate “post lings”. Otherwise, I have a tendency to take too long before getting out a lengthy post. There will be a final post on the end of the Closing Session.

The keynote address titled “Towards a 3rd Industrial Revolution lead by Europe and how solar photovoltaic electricity can be part of it” by Jeremy Rifkin was the highlight of the 5th European PV Industry Forum. While missing the excellent professorial delivery, this Jeremy Rifkin interview, “We are in the twilight of a great energy era,” by Hughes Belin with the European Energy Review will get you up to speed on his vision for a 3rd Industrial Revolution powered by distributed Renewable Energies especially solar photovoltaics.

23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: Technical Highlights

[Valencia, Spain]

Continuing where the 23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: 2008 Becquerel Prize Awarded left off, Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, Technical Programme Chairman, presented his view of the Conference Technical Highlights from the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC).

This year, Dr. Ossenbrink admitted relying on section chairs for inputs, and it is always possible to miss something significant. However, I did see Dr. Ossenbrink at a number of Oral Presentations.

Dr. Ossenbrink’s presentation is first captured below as a Picasa slideshow and then with inline text to satisfy the hungry search engines.

(Some) Highlights of the 23rd European Photovoltaic Conference and Exhibition

Valencia, Spain
1-5 September 2008

Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink
Technical Programme Chairman
European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre
Ispra, Italy

Advanced Photovoltaics
•Tandem Cells Using Quantum Dots All QD-Devices Mostly SiO2! Proof of Concept Successful
–(Green/ UNSW, AU)
•(Inverted) Metamorphic Triple Cells Record 40.8%, Potential 50%
–(SpectroLab, US)
•Flexible > 33%
–(EMCORE, US)
•Concentrator Potential to 28.5%, 2 GW by 2020 in Reach
–(Luther, DE)

Advanced Photovoltaics (2)
•DSSC: 11.3% improved stability >1000 h
–(EPFL, CH)
•Printed Organic:
–(Konarka US)
•Certified Efficiency Measurements Required!
–(OrgaPVnet, EU)
•Axial pn-Junctions with Nanowires grown on Si, Voc 400 mV
–(IPHT, DE); (GE Energy, US)
•Fluorescent Concentrator with Photonic Structure, Up-Conversion; High System Efficiency Possible
–(ISE Freiburg, DE)

Wafer-Based Silicon Solar Cells and Materials
•New Wafer Technology Ready: Crystallization on Molten-Si Dipped Substrates (~14.8%, 250 cm²)
–(Sharp, JP)
•Wafering by Proton Beam: No Kerf Losses; Ultra-thin Possible: 50 um
–(SIGEN, US)
•17.2% Module With Thin Back-Contact Cells
–(Kyocera, JP)
•Demonstration of Permanent Deactivation of the B-O effect for CZ, leading to >20%
–(ECN, NL / NUST, NO / Deutsche Solar, ISC Konstanz DE)

Wafer-Based Si Solar Cells and Materials (2)
•20.4% HIT Silicon Heterojunction technology
–(Sanyo, JP)
•“Golden Anniversary” (50 y) of Prof. Martinuzzi, Presentation on diffusion lengths in p-type mc-Ingots
–(Uni Marseille/ CNRS Grenoble, FR)
•PERC cell with Al BSF on Thin Wafers, 16.6%
–(IMEC, BE)
•Production of 650 kg Ingots with Improved efficiency distribution
–(Freiberg, DE)

Thin Films
•Controlled Texturing of TF Substrates for a-SI -Periodic Grooves for TCO
–(Delft/Juelich; NL/DE)
•Roll-to-Roll Electroplated CIGS Manufacturing ~11%
–(SOLOPOWER; US
•1.4m² a-Si including ZnO, 9.4%, 110 W stabilized
–(Oerlikon, CH/LI)
•5.7m² Results, hundreds of Manufacturing Systems in Production
–(Applied Materials, US)

Thin Films (2)
•9% Stabilized for Micromorph Tandems on Plastic
–(Uni Neuchatel, CH)
•μC-SiGe Tandems 11.2% initial
–(AIST, JP)
•Good Overview on the Continuous Improvement of all Thin-Film Technologies, Multi-GW by 2012 can be expected
–(Wuerth, DE)

Components for PV Systems
•Model the World with 3 Parameters
–(ISE Freiburg, DE)
•Very Comprehensive and all Technologies
–(PERFORMANCE Project / ZSW DE)
•Predict Long-Term Lifetime from Module Warranty Returns. <2005: 0.13%, <0.01% since then. Extending Module Life Possible, End-of-Life well beyond Warranty Period of 25 years
–(BP Solar, US)
•PV-MIPS: Integrated AC Inverter in a 400 V CIS Module
–(ISET, DE)

Components for PV Systems (2)
•PV goes Skiing: 1 or 2 Axis Tracking “Solar Wings” Using Low-Cost Cable car Technology
–(ZHAW Winterthur, CH)
•Li-Ion Batteries Arrive! Higher η than PB
–(Conergy, DE)
•Performance of LEDs for Small Lanterns
–(ISE Freiburg, DE)

PV Systems
•Floating PV System; Foam Pontoons, 9x9 m², Prototype 10% higher cost, Water Cooling for 20º Temp Reduction, probably also good to clean Bird Dropping!
–(AIST, JP)
•Matching Very Large Scale PV to the Grid, Penetration Limits w-w/o Storage calculated
–(Ben Gurion, IL)
•Storage Options: Pumped Hydro, CAES, Pumped H2 30-40%, Li-Po, SuperCaps/Flywheels Vehicle to Grid
–(RWTH,DE)
•New Architectural Avenues for PV: PV/LED Facades, “Pixellated” for until now Unseen Appearances
–(ENEA, IT)

PV Deployment
•Spain: The Dangling Sword of The Cap, PV Experts too busy in installing more than 1100 MW before End of this Month
•Greece: Overwhelming Response above 2000 MW; Implementation Slow, only 2..3 MW in 2007/08 installed
•Italy: doubled to more than 100 MW in 2007, Well Organised, 450 MW expected in 2009
•Korea: 100’000 Solar Roofs by 2012
•Japan: Brings up new Residential Programme
•Burocratic Burden Still Too High!
–AssoSolare et al

The Conference View on World’s R&D Landscape (please see the slideshow)

The Solar Europe Initiative
PV Technology Platform
+
Europe’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan

•for the 2020 Goals 3% (100GW) are very realistic
•But with sequential Grid Parity on:
–Peak Demand
–Retail Prices
–Bulk Power
...6% - 12% Can Be Envisaged

•Prepare for 12% = 400 GW!

We Have No Time To Loose!

We hope you have enjoyed the programme!

Thank you for coming to Valencia

See you again next year at the 24th in.....

Muchas gracias to Dr. Ossenbrink for taking the time to provide a copy of his “(Some) Highlights of the 23rd European Photovoltaic Conference and Exhibition” presentation after the late close of the 23rd EU PVSEC. All of us, self included, were already thinking about our Friday afternoon itineraries.

23rd EU PVSEC Closing Session: 2008 Becquerel Prize Awarded

[Valencia, Spain]

Mechtild Rothe becomes the first woman awarded the Becquerel Prize.

After Conference General Chairman Daniel Lincot kicked off the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) closing session, the 2008 Becquerel Prize for Outstanding Merits in Photovoltaics was awarded to Mechtild Rothe (Deutsch) by Professor Dr. Adolf Goetzberger, Chairman of the Becquerel Prize Committee, and Dr. Wolfgang Palz.

Mechtild Rothe is Vice President of the European Parliament where she has been a Member since 1984 and belongs to the German SPD (Social Democratic Party or Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands). Ms. Rothe has been a longtime champion for renewables and photovoltaics in the European Parliament, and her accomplishments include leading the successful effort to establish the 3 GWp (GigaWatt-peak) by 2010 target for photovoltaics in the European Union.

Per this bio:

“Mechtild Rothe was e.g. Rapporteur in the EP for the Directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (2001/77) and Rapporteur of the Directive on energy services and energy efficiency.”

Today, Ms. Rothe is leading the opposition to a “harmonized” European wide green certificate trading system in lieu of and undermining the successful Feed-in Tariff model for fostering and scaling renewable energy technologies to compete with entrenched and subsidized legacy conventional energies such as fossil fuels and nuclear.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Rothe called for an EU Treaty for Renewable Energy Sources to displace the Euratom Treaty in the 21st century. She also trumpeted the German initiative to create an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA):

to provide practical advice and support for industrialized and developing countries seeking to expand their renewable energy sectors, and to work toward improved regulatory frameworks.

Also serving as President of EUFORES (European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources) and Vice-President of EUROSOLAR e.V. (The European Association for Renewable Energy), Ms. Rothe said the prize had given her “renewed energy” for the fight.

Next up from the 23rd EU PVSEC closing session will be the conference technical highlights.

23rd EU PVSEC Opening Session and Press Conference

[Valencia, Spain]

The big news was who was absent.
The Valencia Call for Solar Photovoltaics.

While “Regional Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Mario Flores Lanuza has opened the world´s largest solar energy conference in Valencia” (Español) may have been the headline, the key observation on the Monday morning, September 1, 2008, opening of the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) was no representative from the Spanish central government chose to attend the “the most important international Event in the field of Photovoltaics”.

Discussions in the opening speeches and press conference centered on the “Spanish question” regarding a draft proposal to reduce Spain’s photovoltaic (PV) Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and cap annual installations at 300 MWp (MegaWatt-peak). With Spain’s existing FiT set to expire on September 28, 2008, Spanish PV installers are scrambling to complete projects before the current law is superseded. More than 1.6 GW (GigaWatts, pronounced JigaWatts by many Europeans like in “Back to the Future”) of photovoltaics are expected to be installed in Spain this year, perhaps even by the end of September.

EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) President and Isofotón Communication and External Affairs General Manager Ernesto Macias was direct in his opening remarks and responding to a statement by ASIF (Spanish Photovoltaic Industry Association) President Javier Anta at the press conference said, “(We had) the wrong tariff and wrong model with too many large plants.” This was the root cause of the Spanish PV market explosion.

Mr. Macias outlined a light gray counterproposal to the Spanish FiT draft revision which would:

• Limit large PV plants to a maximum size of 10 MW.
• Only large PV plants would count towards the 300 MW annual cap.
• 100 kW (kilowatt) and smaller distributed generation PV plant installations should not be limited.

These were the key points I noted, and I am waiting for an official copy of the proposal from EPIA. The Spanish question should be decided in a matter a weeks. Outside of the press conference, a number of sources including Photon International Editor-in-chief Michael Schmela have mentioned the possibility of a higher Spanish PV cap in the next FiT revision of 500 to 600 MW.

Although not touted as important metrics, here are a few key stats from the 23rd EU PVSEC:

• 3702 registered Participants from 83 countries and perhaps up to 4000 by week’s end
• 715 Exhibitors from 37 countries
• 1322 papers received from 69 countries
• 20000 Conference and Exhibition visitors expected this week

In his Welcome Address, the Conference General Chairman Daniel Lincot, Research Director at CNRS, Institute for Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy (IRDEP), Paris, France, announced an international call by scientists for the accelerated worldwide deployment of Photovoltaics known as “The Valencia Call for Solar Photovoltaics” echoing the Kyoto Protocol. This declaration is supported by over 200 PV and society personalities and can be found at the Chairman's Initiative for PV on the EU PVSEC website. You (yes that means YOU!) are invited to join this initiative and sign the Call by sending an email to PVCall@enscp.fr or contact Daniel Lincot at the address shown in the above link along with your comments and proposals.

Buenas noches from Valencia where Iberia Airlines has held my checked bag hostage for over four (4) days now. My brand new camcorder is already out of battery power, and I am dreading the demise of my trusty Canon PowerShot SD800IS battery. Both chargers and my voice recorder are in the missing bag. That's my excuse for not getting a post out sooner.

Early Registration Photos at the 23rd EU PVSEC

[Valencia, Spain]

Q-Cells Party info!

Not ready to brave a Valencia beach excursion, I decided to head over to the Feria Valencia on Sunday to obtain my 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) Press badge and conference bag and to check out the venue. As it turned out, Press badges are not being distributed until Monday morning. However, I did have unprecedented access to the Conference auditoriums and Exhibition. This was not exclusive to me; anyone interested could have taken a good look around.

As I said last year in the “22nd EU PVSEC Closing Session”:

Peter Helm, the Executive Conference Director, discussed the selection of Valencia, Spain, for the 23rd EU PVSEC in 2008, and the issues with distance between venues will be resolved. This was my only complaint about the 22nd EU PVSEC. It was much easier to dash between the Conference, Visual Presentations, the Exhibition, and the Press room in Dresden even considering the bratwurst gap. Did I mention Valencia has a beach?

Although it was not running on Sunday, the Metro Valencia Line 4 Feria train stops almost at the front of the Feria Valencia. So the walk from the Metro to the Feria is much shorter than Milan was last year. In my opinion and although I am still walking challenged from my Hiatus incident, the walk from the Conference Venue to the Exposition Halls seems at least as long or longer than Milan. Adding to the journey, Auditorium Pavilion 5 is located down three levels in the Conference Venue, and the Exhibition Halls are located one level below the Foro Centro entrance. I heard exhibitors may not be so happy about this either. On the positive side, the Visual Presentation space is large and located at the entrance to Auditorium Pavilion 5 next to Conference Registration.

Please view the following Picasa slideshow with select pre-23rd EU PVSEC photos including a minor story snippet in the captions. Adjustment of the slide display time may be required to read the captions.

The 23rd EU PVSEC Q-Cells CELEBRATE WITH US! Party details are as follows:

Location: LAS ANIMAS PUERTO | EDIFICO DOCKS
Date: 2 September 2008 Time: 9 P.M.
Address: Paseo Neptuno | Playa Las Arenas

I suggest getting over to Q-Cells AG in Exhibition Hall 2 Stand A9 first thing on Monday to procure your ticket.

23rd EU PVSEC Preview

Global PV Industry taking planes, trains, automobiles, and perhaps boats to Valencia for “the most important international Event in the field of Photovoltaics”.

The 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) opens Monday, September 1, 2008 (Labor Day!), and runs through the Closing Ceremony at Noon on Friday, September 5, 2008, located at the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre in Valencia, Spain.

While the Conference Dinner is booked, it appears Conference Registration is still possible. Per custom, the Welcome Letter has been emailed to Registered Conference Delegates and will also be included in the Conference Bag. Please consult the Overview on the venue and Practical Information for the layout of the Feria and information about Valencia.

Here’s the entire Conference Program Outline including:

• Oral and Plenary Presentations: Sorted By Days or By Topic
• Visual Presentations: By Days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
• All posters can be presented from Monday through Thursday this year.
• Conference Side Events including:
• Seminar „meeting the challenges of the GigaWatt fab“
• Grid Parity and Beyond - Workshop organized by IEA PVPS
• 5th European PV Industry Forum (Draft Program)
• Access to the 5th European PV Industry Forum organized by EPIA with WIP-Renewable Energies is free and registration is not required.

In addition, EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) has organized the following Activities:

• EPIA Industry Area
• Located at the EPIA stand in Hall 1/D7 with the Speed Networking zone and the Presentation and Workshop zone featuring the Alliance for Rural Electrification Workshop (Program), and PV CYCLE (“European Association for Voluntary Take-Back and Recovering of Photovoltaic Modules”) presentations.
• B2B Workshops
• Grid Parity – two words, many different meanings
• Development of Leading European Markets - Policy up-date
• New requirements for grid connection
• EPIA Beach Party
• Billed as an exclusive “invitation only” event on Thursday, September 4, 2008, after the close of the exhibition.
• EPIA Open Bar
• The EPIA Open Bar, a new tradition from Milan, returns Tuesday and Wednesday from 17:30 to19:00 (5:30 to 7:00 PM) to facilitate informal meetings, networking and relaxation.

About 600 exhibitors covering 48000 square meters of space have booked the Feria Valencia for the 23rd EU PVSEC. The Exhibition will is open Monday, September 1, 2008, through Thursday, September 4, 2008, from 09:00 to 18:00 (9:00 AM to 6:00PM). Best of all, visiting the 23rd EU PVSEC Exhibition is free with registration available onsite.

Here are the List of Exhibitors, Exhibition hall layouts, and mappings:

• List of Exhibitors: A-D, E-H, I-M, N-R, S-T, U-Z
• Hall Layouts: Hall 1, Hall 2, Hall 3, Hall 4
• Alphabetical Exhibitor Listing with Stand
• Numerical Stand Listing with Exhibitor

This year, the Becquerel Prize 2008 will be awarded at the Closing Session instead of the Opening Session (please see “22nd EU PVSEC Opens”). Maybe this will encourage more attendance on the last day of the Conference?

This YouTube video titled “Valencia” appears to be a bootleg from the official TURISMO VALENCIA Convention Bureau Download section with Videos, Digital Guides, and PDFs.

Very High Efficiency Solar Cells at PVSC 33

[San Diego, California USA]

Dr. Allen Barnett presented an update on the Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) program.

On Thursday morning, May 15, 2008, Dr. Allen Barnett, presented the paper, “INITIAL TEST BED FOR VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS”, at the 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 33). The paper was renamed from “Very High Efficiency Solar Cell Modules” in the abstract and three University of Delaware students were added to the paper credits as you will hear in the 18:31 minute video below. As usual, I apologize for the video quality (320x240 @ 30 frames per second) and the infernal clicks as I adjust the zoom. Download it as you prefer.

Below is the area and paper citation. It is available for download from the PVSC 33 website by conference attendees after logging into their accounts, finding the abstract, and clicking the View Manuscript link.

Area 3: Oral - Concentrator Modules, Components and Systems (I)
INITIAL TEST BED FOR VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS
Allen Barnett¹, Xiaoting Wang¹, Nick Waite¹, Paola Murcia¹, Christiana Honsberg¹, Doug Kirkpatrick², Dan Laubacher³, Fouad Kiamilev¹, Keith Goossen¹, Mark Wanlass⁴, Myles Steiner⁴, Richard Schwartz⁵, Jeff Gray⁵, Allen Gray⁶, Paul Sharps⁶, Keith Emery⁴, Larry Kazmerski^4
1University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States; ²Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, VA; ³E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE; ⁴National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO; ⁵Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; ⁶Emcore, Albuquerque, NM.

For further information, please see:

• Path To 50% efficient solarcell modules
  
• Select Videos from the 22nd EU PVSEC and the accompanying paper, MILESTONES TOWARD 50% EFFICIENT SOLAR CELL MODULES.
• New US Ultra High Efficiency R&D Programme was presented at the 21^st EU PVSEC.

In addition, High Efficiency Photovoltaics is a presentation by Christiana Honsberg (Publications) and Allen Barnett at the University of Delaware Energy Institute Symposium on March 17, 2008.

I am scheduled to appear tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20, 2008, between 5:00 and 6:00PM EST on "The Blog Bunker" program from SIRIUS Satellite Radio INDIE TALK CHANNEL 110. The Blog Bunker is a political talk channel, not party affiliated, that is described as "political talk for people who hate politics". The discussion is supposed to center around solar energy technologies, global warming, and how solar energy works. I hope to weave in a bit of (lacking) US energy policy if possible.

If you don’t have a SIRIUS subscription, you can sign up for a free three (3) day trial here. I just hope the Oregon and Kentucky primaries don’t preempt the regular program.

Photovoltaic Conference and Exhibition Preview 2008

Significant photovoltaic conferences and events in 2008

In chronological order, here are the conferences I am interested in covering or following in 2008. The schedule is packed with three new conferences and events versus last year, and my focus remains technical conferences and business to business trade shows, not regional marketing or sales events. Location alignment results in two events each for San Francisco, San Diego, and Munich.

Concentrated Solar Power USA
January 28-29, 2008
San Francisco, California USA

As I mentioned in Photovoltaics: 2007 Post Review and 2008 Trends to Watch – Part 2, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is the hottest solar power segment. Second in a series, the Event Overview is titled:

How to build - and run - a profitable Concentrated Solar Power plant
Everything you need to know to turn your CSP project into reality

This looks like the perfect event to smarten up on CSP and network with Who's Attending.

Clean Technology & Renewables Conference
February 20, 2008
New York City, New York USA

This Piper Jaffray & Co. (NYSE:PJC) invitation only event caught my attention last year with Solaria spills low concentration photovoltaic technology at Symposium. With Sr. Research Analyst Jesse Pichel and team doing great Photovoltaic (PV) Industry research, this is one of the best investor conferences to attend =if= you can wrangle an invite.

Concentrated Photovoltaic Summit ‘08
April 1-2, 2008
Madrid, Spain

This Concentrator PhotoVoltaics (CPV) summit, “CPV goes commercial – how to build, maintain and run a profitable CPV plant”, has an impressive speaker list and is realized by First Conferences Ltd. who are also the folks behind the above mentioned Concentrated Solar Power USA. However, the timing conflicts with…

Photovoltaic Technology Show 2008 Europe
April 2-4, 2008 (Conferences April 1-4, 2008)
Munich (München), Germany

While the Photovoltaic Technology Show is a photovoltaic production equipment exhibition, this show is a nexus for four distinct PHOTON EXPO conferences held during the first four (4) days of April:

6^th Solar Silicon Conference - April 1, 2008
3^rd PV Production Equipment Conference - April 2, 2008
3^rd PV Investors Conference - April 3, 2008
2^nd PV Glass Conference - April 4, 2008

The sister Photovoltaic Technology Show 2008 Asia event is being held this week on January 16-18, 2008, in Shenzhen, China, with the same four (4) day conference schedule from January 15-18, 2008, including the debut of the PV Glass Conference. PHOTON claims the 5^th Solar Silicon Conference in Shenzhen will cover “Chinese and Eastern European projects” while Munich’s 6^th Solar Silicon Conference will focus on established industry leaders.

33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 33)
May 11-16, 2008
San Diego, California USA

This conference could create some US based competition for the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC).

Intersolar 2008
June 12-14, 2008 (PV Industry Forum 2008 June 10-11, 2008)
Munich (München), Germany

In order to expand, this year Intersolar moves from Freiburg im Breisgau to the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. Per Quantum Leap for Intersolar Trade Fair, this big trade fair goes huge with an over 80% increase in exhibition area. The Solar Promotion sponsored PV Industry Forum expands to cover the two days before Intersolar 2008 opens.

SEMICON West 2008 / Intersolar North America 2008
July 15-17, 2008 Exhibition
San Francisco, California USA

Please see Intersolar North America 2008 for my write up on this new event. The SEMICON West conference program and events run from July 14-18, 2008.

23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition
September 1-5, 2008
Valencia, Spain

The 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition continues as my must cover conference selection for 2008. With the comprehensive conference program, EPIA’s 5th European PV Industry Forum, and the expanded trade exhibition, this is the best annual technical and business to business solar conference and exhibition.

Solar Power 2008
October 13-16, 2008
San Diego, California USA

The Solar Power Conference and Expo has established itself as the premiere US solar business to business event attracting well over 10,000 visitors in 2007. Intersolar North America 2008 will look to mount a challenge to this position.

21st NREL Industry Growth Forum
Fall 2008 (specific date not announced)
USA (location not announced)

A great two day conference about technologies the latest solar startups are developing for commercialization and pitching to venture capitalists and investors.There was dearth of NREL Forum press coverage in 2007 despite the rising interest in renewable energy technologies. Although I did not attend, I managed to post Wakonda Technologies wins at the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum. NREL's 20th Industry Growth Forum Presentations are available here.

9. Forum Solarpraxis
November 2008
Berlin, Germany

I had a productive 8. Forum Solarpraxis leading to the post, Solarvalue AG Analyst Conference at the 8. Forum Solarpraxis, and the impromptu site visit In Search of Nanosolar GmbH.

Honorable mention:
PV TECH MILANO 2008
November 25-28, 2008
Milan, Italy

The 5th INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ON THE PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGIES lands in the Fiera Milano. Although this exhibition may have a regional focus, it is hard to ignore a photovoltaic production equipment trade fair.

Of course, I plan to cover the 2008 California Clean Tech Open (CCTO), and I await details on the event schedule and the regional expansion plans for the competition.

I decided to skip the 2008 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) from January 7-10, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. Instead of the CES consolation prize, I will be attending the Macworld Conference & Expo tomorrow. I’m not sure there will be anything solar, but I will keep my eyes open.

23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition

1 – 5 September 2008 Feria Valencia

The dates are now set for the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) at the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre in Valencia, Spain. As in the past, next years conference will run all five days while the Exhibition will run the first four days, 1 – 4 September 2008.

The 23rd EU PVSEC has issued a Call for Papers with an outline of the conference program and subject areas along with abstract requirements and review procedures.

Abstract submissions are due by January 23, 2008, and can be submitted by e-mail, online, or, if necessary, by snail mail.

Here is the Exhibition Flyer and Exhibition Reservations page for the 23rd EU EVSEC in Valencia, Spain.

While the Fiero Milano was a beautiful and luxurious exhibition and convention center, the Feria Valencia has been promised to be more compact and practical to maximize time absorbing areas of interest at the Conference, Visual Presentations, and the Exhibition.

Comunitat Valenciana, the Official tourism site of the Region of Valencia, is a resource to jump start your planning for next fall. Valencia looks like an ideal location to plan a pre or post vacation around the 23rd EU PVSEC. Learning Spanish is another option for the industrious.

I hope to learn a bit more Spanish than I did Italian (none) for Milano before visiting Valencia. Why is it that Europeans like to schedule these PV events during US holidays? Labor Day is once again lost. Is this a concerted effort to undermine the few holidays Americans have?

Wakonda Technologies wins at the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum

Bandgap Engineering and AlbEO Technologies Inc. honored with Outstanding Presentation Awards.

Source: NREL At the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum on Nov. 8, 2007, (left to right) Riley Hill of Xcel Energy; Marcie Black of Bandgap Engineering, Outstanding Presentation Award Winner; Les Fritzemeier of Wakonda Technologies, Clean Energy Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner; J. Bisberg of AlbEO Technologies, Outstanding Presentation Award Winner; and L. Marty Murphy of NREL stand together after the awards ceremony.

Per Wakonda Technologies, Inc. (http://www.wakondatech.com/):

Wakonda Technologies is commercializing a Virtual Single Crystal (VSC) photovoltaic technology that can be aesthetically integrated into buildings, infrastructure and personal power applications. The technology promises to bring lower costs because of its higher efficiency, lighter weight and flexibility. Photovoltaics, or PV, convert sunlight directly into electricity.

What is this technology? Wakonda is developing high efficiency thin film solar cells using III-V semiconductors on flexible metal foils about 2 mils (0.0508 millimeters) thick. This technology is related to III-V Triple Junction Terrestrial Solar Cells built on Germanium (Ge) substrates. Wakonda has developed a method to produce a Ge film on a flexible metal substrate to replace the expensive Ge crystal wafer substrate.

Perhaps it is better to allow Wakonda Founder and CEO Les Fritzemeier explain the company’s technology and business plans in this top Ten Finalist video by Newfangler Productions from the ICE 2007 Ignite Clean Energy Business Presentation Competition on May 1, 2007.

Here is the official press release, Wakonda Technologies is the Clean Energy Entrepreneur of the Year, from the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Wakonda Technologies is located in Fairport, New York USA, near Rochester and earned a top prize of $10,000 as the 2007 Clean Energy Entrepreneur of the Year.

On the same day, November 8, 2007, Wakonda Technologies was awarded $892,735 as part of the Department of Energy to Invest More than $21 Million for Next Generation Solar Energy Projects for a $2.1 million project to apply low cost conventional thin film manufacturing techniques to the production of large area, high efficiency multi-junction PV.

Here is an oral presentation and paper Wakonda contributed to at the 22nd EU PVSEC:

ORAL PRESENTATIONS 1BO.4
13:30 – 15:00 Solar Cells, Modules and PV Systems for Space
Applications
1BO.4.3 R.P. Raffaelle, S. Hubbard & J. McCarty
Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
L. Fritzemeier
Wakonda Technologies, Fairport, USA
D.M. Wilt & S.G. Bailey
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, USA
Thin Film Poly III-V Space Solar Cells

Wakonda visited Denver earlier this year from April 17-19, 2007, for the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program Review Meeting and Peer Review to present the paper, Progress Toward High Efficiency Thin Film Photovoltaics, updating their DOE funded research. NASA has also been an active funder of Wakonda's research for space applications.

In addition, I found the following Wakonda patent published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO):

(WO/2007/025062) PHOTOVOLTAIC TEMPLATE

Outstanding Presentation Awards winners Bandgap Engineering and AlbEO Technologies Inc. each received $5,000 in cash.

Marcie R. Black, Bandgap Engineering's founding scientist, accepted the Outstanding Presentation Award on behalf her Westwood, Massachusetts USA, company developing solar cells with high efficiencies above 50 percent based on nano-scaled silicon material per the 2006 MRS (Materials Research Society) Fall Meeting Symposium CC: Solar Energy Conversion paper:

CC1.7
Intentional Interface Defects as a Means of Band Gap Engineering and the Applications to Photovoltaics Marcie R Black¹ and James Maxwell²; ¹LANL, Newton, Massachusetts; ²Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Here is an advanced look at the topic of Band Gap Engineering or see this Band gap introduction.

Based in Boulder, Colorado USA, AlbEO Technologies, Inc. develops and markets intelligent Solid State Lighting (SSL) systems combining art, design, and technology while reducing energy consumption. Jeff Bisberg, AlbEO founder and CEO, accepted the Outstanding Presentation Award for his company.

The 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum was held this year in Denver, Colorado USA, from November 6-8, 2007. Additional solar firms among this year’s thirty one (31) presenters included:

CaliSolar, Inc.
GreenVolts, Inc.
Gamma Solar Corp.
Prism Solar Technologies, Inc.
Ribbon Technology International (reference)
Soliant Energy, Inc.
SoloPower, Inc.
SunFund Corporation
SV Solar, Inc.

Both Denver’s Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter addressed the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum. Neither Philadelphia Major John F. Street or Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell took the time to address last year’s 19th NREL Industry Growth Forum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.

Here are the Proceedings from last year’s 19th NREL Industry Growth Forum or see my previous coverage of the 19th NREL Industry Growth Forum and follow up posts.