Society has long confronted the problem of generating electricity with minimal impacts on the environment. With global demand for power exceeding 575 quadrillion British thermal units in 2017, finding a solution to this problem is especially important. QESST is capitalizing on one of the greatest scientific advances of the 20th century, quantum mechanics, to develop photovoltaics (PV) and advanced energy converters that will: Revolutionize electricity generation; Renew interest in science and engineering; and Revitalize the U.S. PV industry, allowing it to dominate the expected trillion-dollar PV market. The interdisciplinary team consisting of multiple universities, world-renowned energy companies, leaders in PV and a blend of entrepreneurs form a strategic partnership to generate innovative solutions to sustainable electricity generation. The Impact of QESST For the past decade, the PV industry has expanded at an average compound annual growth rate of nearly 40 percent. At this growth rate, the PV industry can satisfy the all-new global demand for electricity in the next 10 years. Sustaining such growth rates is an enormous challenge—but one that has been met by other semiconductor industries. The goal of the QESST ERC is to develop a technology path for photovoltaics that will enable rapid growth by allowing existing commercial photovoltaic technologies to circumvent trade-offs in performance and cost. Alternatively stated, our goal is to enable commercial photovoltaics to exceed all goals formerly envisioned.
Research Areas
QESST is developing the knowledge, technology, and engineered systems to provide continuous improvement in the efficiency, economic viability, and sustainability of photovoltaic (PV) systems. To this end, QESST is committed to research that spans the three leading commercial PV technologies: silicon, thin films, and tandem devices. More importantly, QESST is blurring the traditional lines between technologies by recognizing and exploiting their commonalities. The research done within QESST combines thrusts, testbeds, and cross-cutting topics to cover a variety of projects related to both the basic science and application of solar technologies. Topics cover everything from advancing silicon devices to studying novel materials and synthesis techniques. All the projects share certain themes, called cross-cutting topics, related to sustainability, education, and diversity.
RESEARCH THRUSTS
Terawatt Scale Silicon Photovoltaics
Objective: Engineer myriad solutions that collectively increase the efficiency of manufacturable PV modules by >5% (relative) or reduce their cost by >10% by 2020, and increase their sustainability consistent with 50% PV electricity penetration.
Tandem Integration with Silicon
Objective: Develop the materials, methods, and understanding to enable a >30%-efficient top-cell/silicon tandem solar module with a manufacturing cost <$100/m2 by 2030.
Fundamentals for High-Efficiency Photovoltaics
Objective: Investigate transformative PV principles, devices, and system design concepts that result in a game-changing effect on efficiency and manufacturability, through an integrative approach of emerging materials, defect control, interface and surface passivation, contacts, light management, modeling, characterization, and proof-of concept experimentation that cut across PV technologies, to establish pathways enabling >40% efficiency at a manufacturing cost <$40/m2 by 2040.
Facilities & Resources
One of QESST’s core’s capabilities is the ability to collaborate for research at our eight member universities. Each university focuses on different areas and as such, has different expertise and tools. To know more check out our list of tools and facilities at all universities. ASU Research facilities being utilized for QESST-related research at Arizona State University include the Solar Power Lab (SPL), the NanoFab CSSER, the LeRoy Eyring Center for Solid State Science and TÜV Rheinland Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory LLC. The laboratory for the SPL, a 4976 square foot clean room, is situated in the MacroTechnology Works building at the Arizona State University Research Park. This state-of-the-art clean room has extensive handling for high purity gases and sophisticated semiconductor process equipment including: SPL Metrology Equipment Alessi Probe Station Atomic Force Microscope Electro-luminescence Flash Solar Cell Tester Four Point Probe Hitachi S7800 Scanning Electron Microscope Nanometrics Reflectometer Profilometer Quantum Efficiency Rudolph AutoEL III Ellipsometer Sinton Lifetime Tester SPL Processing Equipment AMAT P-5000 PECVD AST 280 Rapid Thermal Processor Belt Firing Furnace Box Furnaces MRL 1414 Diffusion Furnace Molecular Beam Epitaxy Screen Printers Spin Rinse Dryer Sputtering System Wet Chemistry for Wafer Cleaning Wet Chemistry for Wafer Texturing
Partner Organizations
Arizona State University
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
University of Delaware
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Arizona
University of Houston
University of New Mexico
Abbreviation |
QESST
|
Country |
United States
|
Region |
Americas
|
Primary Language |
English
|
Evidence of Intl Collaboration? |
|
Industry engagement required? |
Associated Funding Agencies |
Contact Name |
Robert Sampson
|
Contact Title |
Administrative Director
|
Contact E-Mail |
Website |
|
General E-mail |
qesst.slc@gmail.com
|
Phone |
|
Address |
Engineering Research Center (ENGRC)
551 E. Tyler Mall
Tempe
AZ
85287
|
Society has long confronted the problem of generating electricity with minimal impacts on the environment. With global demand for power exceeding 575 quadrillion British thermal units in 2017, finding a solution to this problem is especially important. QESST is capitalizing on one of the greatest scientific advances of the 20th century, quantum mechanics, to develop photovoltaics (PV) and advanced energy converters that will: Revolutionize electricity generation; Renew interest in science and engineering; and Revitalize the U.S. PV industry, allowing it to dominate the expected trillion-dollar PV market. The interdisciplinary team consisting of multiple universities, world-renowned energy companies, leaders in PV and a blend of entrepreneurs form a strategic partnership to generate innovative solutions to sustainable electricity generation. The Impact of QESST For the past decade, the PV industry has expanded at an average compound annual growth rate of nearly 40 percent. At this growth rate, the PV industry can satisfy the all-new global demand for electricity in the next 10 years. Sustaining such growth rates is an enormous challenge—but one that has been met by other semiconductor industries. The goal of the QESST ERC is to develop a technology path for photovoltaics that will enable rapid growth by allowing existing commercial photovoltaic technologies to circumvent trade-offs in performance and cost. Alternatively stated, our goal is to enable commercial photovoltaics to exceed all goals formerly envisioned.
Abbreviation |
QESST
|
Country |
United States
|
Region |
Americas
|
Primary Language |
English
|
Evidence of Intl Collaboration? |
|
Industry engagement required? |
Associated Funding Agencies |
Contact Name |
Robert Sampson
|
Contact Title |
Administrative Director
|
Contact E-Mail |
Website |
|
General E-mail |
qesst.slc@gmail.com
|
Phone |
|
Address |
Engineering Research Center (ENGRC)
551 E. Tyler Mall
Tempe
AZ
85287
|
Research Areas
QESST is developing the knowledge, technology, and engineered systems to provide continuous improvement in the efficiency, economic viability, and sustainability of photovoltaic (PV) systems. To this end, QESST is committed to research that spans the three leading commercial PV technologies: silicon, thin films, and tandem devices. More importantly, QESST is blurring the traditional lines between technologies by recognizing and exploiting their commonalities. The research done within QESST combines thrusts, testbeds, and cross-cutting topics to cover a variety of projects related to both the basic science and application of solar technologies. Topics cover everything from advancing silicon devices to studying novel materials and synthesis techniques. All the projects share certain themes, called cross-cutting topics, related to sustainability, education, and diversity.
RESEARCH THRUSTS
Terawatt Scale Silicon Photovoltaics
Objective: Engineer myriad solutions that collectively increase the efficiency of manufacturable PV modules by >5% (relative) or reduce their cost by >10% by 2020, and increase their sustainability consistent with 50% PV electricity penetration.
Tandem Integration with Silicon
Objective: Develop the materials, methods, and understanding to enable a >30%-efficient top-cell/silicon tandem solar module with a manufacturing cost <$100/m2 by 2030.
Fundamentals for High-Efficiency Photovoltaics
Objective: Investigate transformative PV principles, devices, and system design concepts that result in a game-changing effect on efficiency and manufacturability, through an integrative approach of emerging materials, defect control, interface and surface passivation, contacts, light management, modeling, characterization, and proof-of concept experimentation that cut across PV technologies, to establish pathways enabling >40% efficiency at a manufacturing cost <$40/m2 by 2040.
Facilities & Resources
One of QESST’s core’s capabilities is the ability to collaborate for research at our eight member universities. Each university focuses on different areas and as such, has different expertise and tools. To know more check out our list of tools and facilities at all universities. ASU Research facilities being utilized for QESST-related research at Arizona State University include the Solar Power Lab (SPL), the NanoFab CSSER, the LeRoy Eyring Center for Solid State Science and TÜV Rheinland Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory LLC. The laboratory for the SPL, a 4976 square foot clean room, is situated in the MacroTechnology Works building at the Arizona State University Research Park. This state-of-the-art clean room has extensive handling for high purity gases and sophisticated semiconductor process equipment including: SPL Metrology Equipment Alessi Probe Station Atomic Force Microscope Electro-luminescence Flash Solar Cell Tester Four Point Probe Hitachi S7800 Scanning Electron Microscope Nanometrics Reflectometer Profilometer Quantum Efficiency Rudolph AutoEL III Ellipsometer Sinton Lifetime Tester SPL Processing Equipment AMAT P-5000 PECVD AST 280 Rapid Thermal Processor Belt Firing Furnace Box Furnaces MRL 1414 Diffusion Furnace Molecular Beam Epitaxy Screen Printers Spin Rinse Dryer Sputtering System Wet Chemistry for Wafer Cleaning Wet Chemistry for Wafer Texturing
Partner Organizations
Arizona State University
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
University of Delaware
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Arizona
University of Houston
University of New Mexico