Platform-ZERO was introduced by our partner UPO (Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla) at a TEA@SUNRISE event in South Africa.
TEA@SUNRISE works at enabling sustainable, affordable solar PV to be manufactured locally in countries in Africa, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific.
Building on the pre-existing SUNRISE network, the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) @ SUNRISE project is a collaboration between the UK and countries in Africa, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific. To support an equitable and just energy transition, the project will form an interdisciplinary network capable of identifying and delivering opportunities for next-generation solar.
TEA@SUNRISE is part of the Transforming Energy Access platform funded by UK aid from the UK Government to support the technologies, business models and skills needed to enable an inclusive, clean energy transition.
PV has become one of the fastest growing energy technologies worldwide. However silicon PV, which currently dominates the market, faces limitations. The manufacturing process needs a hefty initial investment, and consumes substantial amounts of critical materials and energy. Current manufacturing is also located far from where the rapidly emerging economies of the Global South require energy, creating logistical challenges.
New materials such as perovskites present an opportunity to bring PV manufacturing much closer to its point of use. Local manufacturing could reduce logistics costs, create jobs, and use lower-carbon sources of energy. This next-generation of materials also offers a unique opportunity to design for ease of re-use and re-manufacture from the outset.
Professor Gerko Oskam’ presentation was focused on carbon-based printed perovskite solar cells and module and Platform-ZERO was highlighted as an important project contributing to this research activity. It was within the overall themes “New processes for Production Breakthroughs & Testing and Stability of the symposium (see overall agenda below).