Versatility of sustainable and low-cost chalcogenide thin-films solar cells

SUNLIFE will contribute to the acceleration of the clean energy transition by the development of efficient, sustainable, low-cost, long-life and stable photovoltaic (PV) technologies for outdoor and indoor use. SUNLIFE provides a unique RI platform for boosting the capability of 6 EU research groups and 1 industry stakeholder focusing on Sb2(S,Se)3 and Se technologies for thin-film solar cells development. SUNLIFE objective is the demonstration of PV devices with enhanced efficiency, integrability and stability avoiding the use of CdS and organics for a sustainable and longer lifetime PV technology. Materials with high absorption coefficient, low growth temperature and wide range of band gap values have been selected to enable fabrication of i) semi-transparent solar cells for BIPV, IIPV; ii) flexible devices for IoT integration and indoor PV and iii) devices on ceramic tiles with the double function of walls ventilation and power production. These enhanced devices require the implementation of strategies to mitigate material defects with the control of orientation, p-type dopants and interfaces. SUNLIFE will enable a larger PV integration in the society by progress from TRL3 to TRL4 or above, increased efficiencies (15 % outdoor and 18 % indoor), and by defining the roadmap for TRL 5 beyond the project lifetime with the first demonstration of Se/Sb2Se3 mechanical stacked multi-junction devices. SUNLIFE tasks involve device pilot tester and life-cycle assessment.