Singapore aims to develop innovations that will improve the manufacturing process and bring down module costs.
The Energy Innovation Programme Office (EIPO) announced the research fund of about $11 million has been granted for 5 research teams under the fifth grant call of the Clean Energy Research Programme (CERP).
The CERP was launched by EIPO in 2007 to accelerate research and development efforts to help drive the growth of the Clean Energy industry in Singapore. This S$50 million initiative supports both upstream and downstream commercially-relevant R&D efforts through a competitive project funding approach.
The 5 research proposals awarded funding in this latest call of CERP are:
a) Development of hybrid heterojunction silicon wafer solar cells (H2 Cells) (SERIS, National University of Singapore);
b) Development and industrialisation of low-cost, high-power back-contact module using high efficiency metal wrap through (MVT) solar cells (Renewable Energy Corporation, Singapore);
c) Integrated framing system for crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules (SERIS, National University of Singapore);
d) Ultrafast atomic layer deposition for cost-efficient high-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells (SERIS, National University of Singapore);
e) CIGS solar cells and mini-module: Establishment of an R&D pilot line in Singapore and research into cadmium-free heterojunction window layers (Nanyang Technological University).
Two themes of these research projects have been focused: 1. Improve silicon wafer- based solar cell manufacturing processes and technologies. 2. Develop thin-film solar cells based on the chalcopyrite materials system.
Economic Development Board managing director Beh Swan Gin said on Wednesday: “The research topics for this latest competitive funding round represent the next step forward for Singapore in solar energy research.”
The company’s senior vice-president of operations and technology Erik Lokke Owre added: “This new technology holds the promise of further cost reductions, in combination with an increase in module power.”
