PV2+ has developed a patented solution to considerably reduce the cost of high efficiency solar cells, whilst enhancing their performance and sustainability by utilizing abundant copper instead of silver for the solar cell contacts.
We are currently working with industry partners to commercialize this innovation.
Even though PV is becoming the lowest-cost option for electricity generation in most of the world, solar energy today contributes to only 3 % of the world's energy production. Our mission is to enable a rapid but sustainable growth of the solar industry by solving the problem of limited silver resources that increasingly confront the solar industry.
Silver accounts for approximately 10 % of PV module costs. This share is expected to increase drastically in the near future. In 2021, the cost of silver for electrical contacts in solar modules amounted to approximately 2.7 bn. USD.
But more importantly there are not enough silver resources worldwide to scale the solar industry up to a terawatt production. However, this is necessary to reach our climate goals.
Already within the next five years, the growing silver scarcity is expected to become a severe bottle neck for the solar industry.
Our approach is to substitute screen-printed silver contacts with electro-plated copper contacts using a patented process. This innovation promises to have various advantages for solar cell manufacturers:
The team of PV2+ is currently working on the commercialization of its innovation. In the medium term, it plans to offer solar cell manufacturers the following products and services: process-implementation, optimization and maintenance, as well as licensing.
PV2+ is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and the European Social Fund as part of the EXIST program.
Further partners and sponsors:
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