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Energy research Centre of Netherlands (ECN)
| Organisation Legal Name: | Energy research Centre of Netherlands (ECN) |
| Year of foundation: | 1955 |
| Legal Status: | public non-profit |
| Street Name and Number: | Westerduinweg 3 |
| Post Code: | 1755 LE |
| Town/City: | Petten |
| Country Name: | The Netherlands |
| Number of employees: | 675 |
| Fields of research/activity: | ECN Solar Energy, with its staff of over 60 people, offers a wide range of R&D activities on PV materials and -processing technologies, cell- and module design. These are available for transfer and implementation on laboratory-, pilot- and production scale. Our extensive facilities for solar cell and -module processing and characterisation are well suited to study almost all R&D issues currently relevant for the PV industry. As a fully private, independent organisation, ECN can work on a non-disclosure and exclusivity basis. The combination of our skills, experience and facilities makes ECN Solar Energy a perfect partner in joint R&D activities, in fundamental studies as well as in technology development.
Three main areas dominate our present R&D program: crystalline silicon PV technology, thin-film PV technologies, and PV module technology. The major part of this program is carried out in co-operation with national and international partners. |
| Products (if applicable): | At ECN Solar a pilot line for the processing of (multi)crystalline Si wafers is available. The best independently confirmed cell efficiency on 156 cm2 mc-Si p-type wafers is 17.0%. For n-type monocrystalline material the best confirmed efficiency reached is 17.4%. Both efficiencies can be seen as record cells for the type of material and proceses used. Furthermore, ECN develops new cell concepts for higher efficiencies and easy module manufacturing. An example is our so-called PUM integrated cell and module concept with which an efficiency gain of 0.8% was observerd on module level with respect to standard H pattern cells. New module materials and encapsulation techniques combined with new interconnection techniques, e.g. conductive adhesives, are under development for further cost reduction.
For thin-film Si PV technology a prototype in-line roll-to-roll PECVD system is available. The heart of the system is a remote MicroWave PECVD system with enhanced growth rate. Lifecycle analyses for the newly developed processes are evaluated to determine the environmental aspects of these new processes. Our aim is to develop processs that will result in an energy pay back time of less than 1 year for full size modules. A well-equiped characterization laboratory is used of characterization of cells and modules, but half fabricates as well. Examples are IV measurements, SR, reflection, lifetime, resistances, etc. Some techniques are for characterization the full cell or module, but local measurements as well. ECN Solar has developed characterization tools as Corescan and Sherescan. Computer programmes for cell and sample analysis (IV, FTIR) and optimizing the metallization pattern are available as well. |
| Idea of cooperation project: | We would like to participate on ground-breaking projects that coincide with our expertise in (parts of) the PV-value chain. |
| Potential partner description: | We would like to participate in
a project in the field of solar grade materials, to identify the relationship between impurities in feedstock/wafers and cell output. a project focusing on industrial high efficiency cells with novel cell design / concept using thin (<150 µm) and large wafers (>240 cm2), and for both p and n type material projects as a research partner to characterise thin wafer/ribbon material in the broadest sence of the word (breakage, quality vs cell output, etc) or the processing of thin material a project targeting for high volume, high yield production of modules using back-contact solar cells a project on development innovative production facilities for thin film Si PV a project on organic solar cells, dye sensitised solar cells |