Imagine making solar panels without the wasteful and expensive step of cutting thick silicon blocks into thin slices. This project creates a shortcut to produce the base material directly, like printing a page instead of carving it from stone. It also finds ways to use less expensive silver and speed up the assembly line to make European solar energy cheaper and greener.
European PV manufacturing is currently unable to compete with the Chinese industry due to high production costs and inefficient value chains. The reliance on expensive silver and wasteful silicon sawing processes increases the LCOE.
Direct wafering tools for N-type Si wafers and alternative metallization/lamination equipment. A virtual vertically integrated PV production line was also developed.
If you are a wafer producer dealing with high waste and expensive ingot sawing — this project developed direct wafering tools that bypass the traditional PolySi and ingot process. This reduces the CO2 footprint and lowers raw material consumption.
If you are a cell manufacturer dealing with the high cost of silver — this project developed alternative metallization processes that reduce silver (Ag) consumption. This directly lowers the operating expenditure of the production line.
If you are an equipment provider dealing with slow production speeds — this project developed high-speed interconnection and lamination tools. These tools allow for more flexible module configurations and higher throughput.
It targets a reduction in both Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operating Expenditure (OpEx) by bypassing traditional ingot sawing and reducing silver consumption. This leads to a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) in Europe.
The project includes the demonstration of a virtual vertically integrated PV production line and the development of market introduction strategies. Based on available project data, it aims to compete with the Chinese PV industry.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing alternative equipment and processes with a solid exploitation and business development strategy for European leadership.
The project period runs from 2024-12-01 to 2028-05-31.
The project leverages Industry 4.0 implementation to enhance production efficiency and improve PV production quality.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with a 54% industry ratio comprising 13 industrial partners, including 7 SMEs. With 24 partners across 9 countries, the project balances academic research (1 university, 9 research centers) with practical manufacturing expertise, suggesting a strong push toward market readiness and industrial adoption.
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