The TRIUMPH project aims to initiate the development of a future PV cell technology node, based on an advanced triple junction cell concept, that is widely considered to be the next technology node to come after tandems. Presently, there is considerable amount of attention and research and development (R&D) activities devoted to Pk/Si tandems and already promising cell efficiencies, reliability and outdoor performance results have been obtained. The highest efficiency reported for a 2-terminal (2T) Pk/Si tandem is 29.8%, which has already gone past the Auger limit of Si. Therefore, in TRIUMPH, we plan to venture a step further than tandems by targeting TRIple junction devices, that can add the extra “OOMPH” (hence the name TRIUMPH) needed to reach efficiencies even >33%. These 2T triple junction devices will be based on perovskites for the middle and top cells and silicon for the bottom cell and will build on the knowledge garnered in the field of Pk/Si tandems. Additionally, cost-effective processing techniques that are industrially viable will be selected for scale-up developments, with minimal upscaling performance loss and degradation during reliability testing and outdoor monitoring. As we enter the tera-watt (TW) era of PV deployment, using earth-abundant materials and enforcing circularity become necessities. Towards this objective, we not only explore options that reduce critical raw materials (CRM) such as silver (Ag) and indium (In) in the triple junction devices, but also apply design for recycling principles to the triple junction modules. The consortium consists of 14 complementary partners from both research institutions and industry, each bringing their best forte to the table, which will help to establish the pathway and the value chain for future multi-junction modules. In this way, TRIUMPH would help the European Union (EU) to maintain its technological leadership in the PV domain for the future generation of PV technologies.

The SuPerTandem project aims to accelerate Europes transition to clean energy by developing innovative photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing technologies for 2-terminal tandem cells and monolithically connected modules on flexible foils using low cost solution-processed perovskite absorber layers. Such devices feature efficiencies above 30%, performance stability profiles comparable to c-Si technologies, and excellent sustainability profile. Important aspects are minimizing the use and impact of scarce and critical materials by employing sustainable, earth-abundant materials and applying encapsulation as well as recycling strategies to guarantee circularity. Application of scalable manufacturing processes on film substrates will enable low production cost (< 20 /m2) and lower cost of electricity compared to current Si PV technology. This will be achieved by the partnership of leading European labs, industrial equipment makers and flexible PV module producing companies, building a coherent value chain of European innovation driven, cost competitive manufacturing to provide affordable innovative PV solutions. Dual use of land/surfaces will capitalize the application advantages of developed lightweight flexible free-form factor PV modules for integration into buildings, vehicles and agrivoltaics to facilitate net zero emission targets with affordable integrated systems. The overarching aim of SuPerTandem is to demonstrate technologies at TRL 5, while participating partners have interests to quickly implement the project outcomes for establishing roll-to-roll manufacturing plants in EU. The sustainability of the developed module technology will be validated from environmental and economic points of view by life-cycle and techno-economic assessments, highlighting its potential for low resource consumption and CO2 footprint and thus for salient contributions to a sustainable, secure, safe and affordable supply of renewable energy in Europe.

NEXUS will accelerate Europe’s transition to clean energy by development of perovskite-Si tandem photovoltaics, via a new European paradigm: a global eco-design approach based on efficiency, cost, sustainability, circularity and social aspects, using abundant materials in the whole value chain. Our innovations will improve the PV Energy Yield per area, using sustainable, coherent and competitive European PV production, guaranteeing a clean energy transition and ensuring a secure and affordable EU energy supply. NEXUS will develop stable, 2-terminal perovskite-Si tandem solar cells with power conversion efficiencies >33% (modules >30%) and stabilities like state of the art single junction Silicon PV modules. We will develop these challenging targets following an innovative eco-design approach: employing solvent-free perovskite deposition, circularity, recyclability, improved simple manufacturing processes, to create a viable economic pathway for the European commercialization of this sustainable technology. Advances are based on development of high-performance, solvent-free, perovskite top absorbers, of conductive oxides based on earth abundant materials for different applications and the implementation of eco-design criteria for development of the bottom PV-Si cell, reducing its CO2 footprint. Thus we will achieve perovskite-Si cells and modules with a maximized power output of 210 kWh/m2. We will increase durability and sustainability in a novel silicon technology, while developing new approaches to deliver very high voltage perovskite solar cells with unprecedented resilience to environmental stress factors. We will demonstrate scalability and proof-of-concept equipment set for each step. NEXUS is a multi-disciplinary consortium: 12 partners from 9 European countries; 5 industrial partners (2 SMEs) & 7 Research & Technology organizations, covering the whole value chain of innovation from research centers to technology providers, end-users and market and policies.