European commissioner for energy Kadri Simson today opened the 38th European PV Solar Energy Exhibition and Conference (EU PVSEC) with the message: “You have the green light from the commission.”
Commissioner Simson described photovoltaics as a “golden thread running through each of the [EU’s climate] policies,” at this morning’s opening session of an event which is this year chaired by João Serra, of the University of Lisbon.
With the online conference and exhibition to run until Friday, the first of four panel discussions took place today, with a two-part subject to open the expert forums.
The European event is dedicated to solar research, technology and PV applications and the first panel discussion today – Managing performance and sustainability at the terawatt scale – examined how leaps in computing power are influencing solar cell modeling, manufacturing, maintenance, site selection, forecasting and modeling entire energy systems.
A second session – Resource efficiency of PV in production, use and disposal – considered just how sustainable solar power can claim to be.
With the panel discussions available for viewing at the EU PVSEC website, tomorrow’s gathering of experts will look ‘Towards ultimate single-junction silicon cells – industry perspective.’ Representatives from Chinese solar giants Longi and TrinaSolar, German solar production line equipment maker RCT-Solutions and Swiss and Taiwanese universities EPFL and NTU, respectively, will ponder whether PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell tech) will remain the dominant single-junction cell format in the multi-terawatt solar era; whether 182mm or 210mm wafers will prevail; and which of TOPCon, heterojunction and interdigitated back-contact will carve out a bigger market share.
Wednesday’s panel will discuss how a PV-backed transition to a 100% renewable energy system can be achieved and Thursday’s event concerns tandem solar cells and their potential to be the ‘game-changer’ technology so many PV commentators are predicting they will be.
With so much innovation due to come under the spotlight, pv magazine will be in attendance to bring you developments as they happen.
