What's Next for the Future of Silicon Solar Cells?

The smarter E Podcast Episode 195 | October 17, 2024 | Language: English

Silicon solar cells have been the backbone of the recent solar boom and will continue to be the driving force behind an energy transition with a high proportion of cost-effective solar power available in the future. The groundbreaking technological development of silicon PV technology has led to significant efficiency gains.

At the 15th Silicon PV International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics 2025 , to be held in Oxford from 8-11 April, scientists and industry representatives will discuss what we can expect from silicon solar cells in the coming years.

Ahead of the conference, we spoke to Sebastian Bonilla and Matthew Wright (both chairpersons of SiliconPV 2025) from the University of Oxford about the hot topics in silicon PV research and product development.

Timeline:

  • 02:17 What are the latest advances in industrial silicon solar cells?
  • 08:11 What market shares are expected for the established p-type and n-type silicon cell technologies over the next few years?
  • 12:24 What are the drivers of these developments?
  • 16:29 What changes can be achieved in the global solar PV landscape with their market entry?
  • 21:42 What progress are we seeing in sustainable manufacturing at industrial production scale?

The smarter E podcast is all about the current trends and developments in a renewable, decentralized and digital energy industry. Our moderators Tobias Bücklein and Zackes Brustik welcome and interview personalities who shape our industry and drive developments forward. A new episode is published every Thursday.

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Sebastian Bonilla, Oxford Materials Department, UK
Matthew Wright, Oxford Materials Department, UK

Sebastian Bonilla specializes electronic materials and is an Associate Professor of Materials and has been researching semiconductor interfaces and its application to optoelectronic devices for 13 years at the University of Oxford.
Matthew Wright is a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow in the Electronic and Interface Materials Laboratory. he specializes in indium free transparent conductors for tandem solar cells.

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