PEPPERONI, an EU-funded project developing a pilot line for perovskite/silicon solar tandem cells and modules, held its General Assembly (GA) on 23-24 May 2024, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Organised by partners from the Laboratory of Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics at the University of Ljubljana (LVPO), the event brought together over 30 consortium members from research and industry, both in-person and online. The assembly packed with critical discussions and activities, served as a forum for consortium members to discuss collaboration and progress made across different work packages (WPs). During the two-day meeting, partners presented their latest progress and discussed the challenges in meeting the ambitious objectives of the project.
The assembly began with a lab tour led by Prof. Marko Topič and his colleagues, showcasing their outdoor testing and monitoring setup for PVs as well as new infrastructure for accelerated indoor testing of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. This hands-on experience provided attendees with an in-depth understanding of the available technologies, challenges and requirements as well as innovative methods and future possibilities.
The afternoon sessions commenced with a warm welcome from the local hosts, setting the stage for an engaging and productive assembly. The official part of the meeting was set by the presentation on the overview status of the project providing a common ground for various experts to share detailed updates from different WPs. Key topics on the agenda included:
- Reliability through Indoor Testing and Outdoor Monitoring: Participants discussed accelerated test development and root-cause analysis, with initial results from outdoor monitoring already available.
- Tandem Solar Cell and Module Pilot Line: The focus was on overcoming challenges in manufacturing processes.
- Manufacturing Tools for Pilot Production: Discussions covered the use of evaporation equipment and slot-die coating techniques.
- Economic, Environmental, and Societal Aspects of Technology: A comprehensive choice experiment is planned as part of the project to address these areas.
- Tandem Cell Process Integration: Topics included perovskite absorbers and contact layers.
- Module Integration of High-Efficiency Tandems: A step-by-step approach to improve and scale materials, including quality control measures.
Scientific and technology-focused presentations were complemented by sessions addressing organisational aspects (WP1) and the dissemination of generated results (WP9). This holistic approach ensures that the project’s advancements are not only technical but also strategically aligned with broader economic and societal goals.
Overall, the General Assembly was an important event for the PEPPERONI project, reinforcing partners’ commitment to innovation and collaboration in advancing the perovskite/silicon tandem technology towards wider adoption. Straight from the PEPPERONI GA, our partners from Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL), engaged in hands-on activities with the public during the Austrian Long Night of Research. Visitors built mini PV modules, identified failure modes, and discussed recycling methods. This initiative demonstrated the PEPPERONI project’s commitment to sharing knowledge and raising awareness about renewable energy technologies through open science events. As the project continues to evolve, stay tuned to learn about technological and scientific developments.
