AMPERE midterm-results

The AMPERE project has completed its midterm lifetime and  has successfully accomplished its targeted goals; this is what follows after the fourth general assembly meeting held at Fraunhofer Institute ISE in Freiburg  on November 12th-14th 2018. The aim of AMPERE is to develop an EU innovative and sustainable manufacturing full-scale automated industrial pilot line to produce bifacial heterojunction technology (HJT) silicon solar cells and modules.  The first 18 months has focused its efforts on the identification of the major issues limiting efficiency in production-like environment.  Roadmap to 22.5% average efficiency in continuous production has been fixed and completed with solutions and feasibility analysis. During the first 18 months of the project, industrial compatible solar cells have been produced on the pilot line of CEA-INES, and their performances constitute the baseline for the EGP demonstration line in Catania, at 3SUN site. The experimental results support the technological path for transfer from R&D conditions to production level towards the 22.5% efficiency energy production at EGP, and outlooks towards 23.5%.

In the framework of production targets the main outcome for the first period is the transfer of the best method for module production to EGP site. The assessment of bifacial modules line has started in the second part of 2018. The target is to achieve 380Wp with 72cell modules. Simulations have been performed to evaluate the module performance for different cell interconnections, highlighting the best configuration to reach module optimal power. Mechanical analysis (simulation and bending tests) had been performed with a first module. The new installed module production line at EGP has already produced around 15’000 bifacial glass/glass modules with third party cells and 4 busbars. The certification of the final module will start at the end of 2018. CEA has built a “first generation” set of HJT bifacial modules to perform mechanical tests. Outdoor performance measurements are starting in Cadarache (France) and Catania (Italy).

At the end of M18 the first equipment of HJT cell line and the automation equipment from the company Jonas & Redmann are in the installation phase at the EGP Catania site. The installation schedule is to start up within month 24 the complete automated HJT cell and module line, performing also the characterization of the first set of HJT modules.

The project will respond to the EU requirements to support a sustainable growth addressing all the pillars of the sustainability concept: People (social sector), Planet (environmental sector), and Profit (economic sector).  As these pillars are often interconnected, the actions adopted in one sector could contribute to maximize the effect of the expected impact in a different sector. This interconnection is incorporated in the project as a clear task in the scenarios definition and in the exploitation strategy including the Cost Benefit analysis for the project solutions. AMPERE approach will contribute to reach the main objectives fixed in EU documents concerning energy security and efficiency.