The third edition of the PEPPERONI newsletter is now live, and it’s packed with insights, breakthroughs, and expert perspectives from across the project consortium.
In this issue, we take a deep dive into the trends shaping the solar energy landscape. As the newsletter notes:
“The photovoltaic (PV) sector enters the second half of the decade in a paradoxical state – booming global installations, with the European Union on track to install 70 GW of solar energy capacity, paired with unprecedented pressure on manufacturers.”
Reflecting momentum in the field, the latest Green’s Solar Cell Efficiency Tables highlight a surge in new tandem records, including
“Qcells’s certified 28.6% efficiency for its perovskite/silicon tandem cell”.
In our Insights from the Lab section, PEPPERONI partners from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and CSEM showcase their cutting-edge infrastructure supporting tandem PV development. This includes new indoor and outdoor testing equipment and a Photoluminescence imaging tool at HZB, as well as state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities at CSEM.
In a special feature, Fabian Fertig (Qcells), a technology development coordinator of the PEPEPRONI project, discusses the implications of recent durability testing:
“The target of tandem product development at Qcells and within PEPPERONI is to at least match the warranty of existing PV products. Improving moisture and heat resistance, as demonstrated in the IEC tests, are major steps towards achieving this target. However, further development is required to close the remaining gap to the long-term reliability of existing products.”
From enhanced infrastructure to record-setting efficiencies, PEPPERONI continues to drive progress toward durable, high-performance tandem solar technology for Europe and beyond.