Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Corporate Brochure
Citation preview
engineering the
future
NLV SOLAR AG
a step towards the age of solar powerPhotovoltaics brings new life to the Perlach technology centre
table of contents
foreword 3
context 4
creating the business 6
engineering excellence 8
prototyping and product development 14
pilot production 20
location 24
markets and marketing 38
organisation and management 42
outlook 43
2 NLV SOLAR AG
At the technology park in Munich-Perlach (Germany), a former wafer fabrica-tion facility is gaining a new lease of life as a research and development hub to pilot solar power technologies. It is the culmination of 20 years’ research by NLV Solar AG. Up to now, the work has focused on virtual reality simulation and digital prototyping. The Perlach pilot plant will enable the step from digital to physical prototype.
The harnessing of renewable energy sources and the complete renewal of a more than century-old power generation and supply system is one of the great challenges we face today. Ingenuity and innovative approaches are needed, not just to overcome scientific and technological barriers, but also in tackling logistical problems and developing new business processes.
Anyone wishing to understand – or help shape – this development has first to know the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and make a sober assessment of the opportunities and risks involved. The development of the innovative Pyradian solar cell, one of the themes of this brochure, shows how a combination of physical principles, digital design methods, solid engineering and entrepreneurial thinking can yield concrete, economically relevant results.
This brochure presents the chief features of the Perlach project and discusses the potential of innovative approaches. Engineering can provide answers to specific technical questions. Ultimately, it is the market that decides how far technology can succeed in affecting a wider change. But it is a market that is increasingly coming to terms with the stark fact that sustainability has to weigh as much in the balance as profitability.
Foreword
Digital prototype of Quantrit reactor
2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2100
1.600
1.400
1.200
1.000
800
600
400
200
Annual input of primary energy (EJ per annum)
Other renewables
Solar thermal (heat only)
Wind
Biomass
Hydroelectric
Nuclear
Natural gas
Coal
Oil
Solar energy (photovoltaics and solar-thermal power plants)
[EJ/a]
4 NLV SOLAR AG
To meet the dual challenge of harnessing renew-able energy sources and renewing the power generation and supply system, a twofold strategy is needed: increasing energy efficiency, and rapid growth in the use of renewable energies. NLV Solar AG is working on both fronts, using digital prototyping to develop improved photovoltaic cells as well as devices that are more energy efficient.
Ultimately, the question of energy supply is a so-cial and political one – a simple fact anyone deal-ing with the energy economy must bear in mind. We have become so hooked on cheap energy that no government dares make it anything less than a top priority. And since denying ourselves has never been a long-term option, we have to face the fact that energy consumption will continue to grow, driven by the West’s wastefulness and the wish of the emerging economies to make a
context
turbo-driven surge to Western standards of liv-ing. Quality of life still equates to rising energy consumption.
In a 2007 report, the International Energy Agency projects growth in world energy demand of 55%, from around 9 billion tons to 15 billion tons of crude oil equivalent. According to the International Panel on Climate Change, that is almost five times more than we should be burning if we want to avoid raising average temperatures by more than 2 degrees up to the end of the century. Current estimates put the corresponding energy costs at $2000 per capita per year. For societies with a per capita income of $2 per day, such a scenario is clearly not economically sustainable on a local basis.
A twofold strategy is needed: increasing energy efficiency and rapid growth in the use of renew-able energies. Models show that the share of
World energy consumption and CO2 emissionsSource: www.pv-leads.de
renewables could be increased to around 60% of total energy consumption. The requirements are moderate economic growth of 3% annually from 2005 to 2030 and a fourfold increase in energy efficiency. To achieve this, it is vital that the two strategies be closely linked. Renewables, which are still expensive, make most sense when deployed in efficient delivery systems. The current share of re-newables is a mere 6%. Clearly, the energy economy must undergo drastic structural change.
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
02005 2007 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
New installation
Cumulated
context
Time will tell if market forces can affect this change on their own. In Japan and Germany, forward-thinking legislation has released renewa-bles from their bit part on the economic stage and created a new industry with great potential. The global photovoltaics industry has already gener-ated annual revenues measured in billions of euros and created hundreds of thousands of jobs; but the key contribution has been to prove the feasibility of a different energy policy. Moreover, the inherent inertia of the old structures is too great for the market to be able to offer solutions with the required urgency.
The good news is that, in theory, the sun can meet the energy requirements of several thousand well-populated planets. Every square kilometre of the Earth’s surface, in the moderate climate zones, receives about 1000 kilowatt hours of solar energy every year. Most of that goes to warm the oceans, powering wind and weather.
In Germany, the development of renewables got a huge boost from the adoption of reforming legisla-tion in 2000, in particular a legally guaranteed payment for supplying energy. The result is that wind power has now overtaken hydroelectric. At the same time, the actual cost of a kilowatt hour, about 5 cents, is close to the cost of nuclear power.
Solar power has some ground to make up still a long way behind. A cost-performance calculation shows that doubling the manufacturing capacity would reduce the price per kilowatt hour from so-lar installations by 15%. But 40 cents per kilowatt hour is still a long way from being competitive. Technical developments are going in two direc-tions. First, in increasing conversion efficiency: that of experimental silicon-based cells is now nearly 45%. Second, in further cutting the cost of thin-film production. Thin-film cells have several advantages over classic monocrystalline silicon cells. Apart from using much less material and the lower production costs, they are very flexible in application. They can be used to coat mobile equip-ment or entire building shells. However, thin-film technology up to now has a maximum conversion of coefficient of 10%, half that of comparable monocrystalline cells.
This is the starting point for the work of the NLV Group in Munich-Perlach. By rationalising compo-nent integration and optimising various techniques in thin-film production, stacking cells and dop-ing processes, using an iron-sulphur compositet
semiconductor, the project aims to achieve further significant reductions in production costs as well as increased conversion efficiency. The goal is to develop a range of devices for commercial produc-tion.
The success of wind energy shows that techni-cal advances usually happen in small steps. After the failure of MAN’s large-scale project to build a 3-megawatt wind farm plant in the 1990s, the wind-power industry has had to work towards the same level of output with smaller installations. Photovoltaics must also overcome many technical obstacles before it can take its rightful place in the overall mix of power sources. Apart from advances in the technology of the solar cells themselves, it
will need a wholesale renewal of the electricity supply system and the corresponding economic structures before renewables can fulfil their prom-ise..
Installed photovoltaic capacity worldwide (in GWp)Source: ifo
Another part fuels the production of biomass. The bad news is that the energy density of solar rays, compared with conventional energy sources such as coal, oil and uranium, is very low.
Instead of centralised power-generating structures, we need decentralised energy producers. This is crucial to the renewal of the energy economy. We must increase the share of local energy networks, with power generated closer to where it is con-sumed. The world’s biggest consumer of power is the grid itself. The losses through transmission are directly proportional to the distance between source and point of supply. Solar power can play an important part in this process of power devolution. The sun rises everywhere on Earth.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organisation founded by the OECD during the oil crisis of 1973–74. The IEA’s initial role was to co-ordinate measures in times of oil supply emergen-cies. It has extended its mandate over the years and now acts as an energy policy advisor to member countries, supporting efforts to ensure supplies of reliable, af-fordable and clean energy. www.iea.org
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Orga-nization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its task is to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity. The IPCC does not conduct any research or monitor climate change. It assesses the latest scientific literature and publishes reports on topics relevant to the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). www.ipcc.ch
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
36
Effi
cien
cy (%
)
32
28
24
20
16
12
8
4
0
Masushita Monosolar
Boeing
Boeing
BoeingBoeing
Euro-CIS
United Solar
University Konstanz
Princeton
United Solar
UniversitySo. Florida
PhotonEnergy
NREL/Spectrolab
Cu (In, Ga) Se214x concentration
UniversityCaliforniaBerkeley
JapanEnergy
Boeing
University of Maine
No. CarolinaState University
Westinghouse
Kodak
Kodak
Solarex
SolarexRCA
RCARCARCA
RCARCARCA
ARCO
ARCO
Spire
Spire
UNSWUNSW
UNSW UNSW UNSW
UNSW
NRELNREL
NREL
NREL
NREL
NREL
NREL
NREL NREL
NREL
Spectrolab
Spectrolab
Stanford
VarianGeorgia Tech Sharp
Georgia Tech
AMETEK
Astro Power
Astro Power
Multijunction concentratorsThree-junction (2-terminal, monolithic)Two-junction (2-terminal, monolithic)
Crystalline Si cellsSingle crystalMulticrystallineThin Si
Thin-film technologiesCu(In, Ga)Se2CdTeAmorphous Si: H (stabilized)
Emerging PVOrganic cells
6 NLV SOLAR AG
creating the business
Critical success factors
What does it take for a company to succeed in a complex and dynamic market such as today’s energy sector? How can it stand out from the competition? What can it offer that is unique? How can it protect itself from imitators? And how can it build and sustain a profitable business with a long lifespan?
As everybody knows, it takes more than just a bright idea plus ambition to build a successful company. There are many factors involved, and the business world has developed a systematic method that gives precise answers to the above questions. Analysis of critical success factors (CSF) is the proven methodology that NLV Solar AG has used to lay the groundwork for its Perlach technology hub.
In-depth CSF analysis is the basis for the compa-ny’s positioning and the guiding principle that will turn an enterprise based on creativity and innova-tion into a market leader with a strong business model and a long life-cycle.
NLV Solar AG has capabilities that count as critical success factors in a number of areas which will be examined in subsequent chapters:
Innovation and entrepreneurship: Simulation, visualisation and digital prototyping technologies are the company’s core capability. In the hands of an entrepreneur, these are powerful modern tools for developing materials and products as well as complex technical systems, and for modelling financial and economic data.
Research and engineering excellence: The com-pany’s experience with the specialised hard- and software used in simulation and digital prototyp-ing goes back 20 years, since it first became avail-able. Numerical evaluation of digital prototypes allows a more accurate, reliable and deeper interpretation than physical models.
Material and product: The track record in mate-rial and product innovation includes a patented high-temperature material used in steel furnaces, and a pyrite thin-film composite semiconductor with highly promising characteristics for use in photovoltaic cells.
Production and logistics: In the area of photo-voltaics, the cost of producing cells is a crucial competitive factor. Thin-film production is the fu-ture of solar cells. It solves existing material prob-lems, makes better use of resources and opens up enormous potential for new applications.
Location: State-of-the-art equipment is being installed in a former semiconductor factory in Munich-Perlach to turn it into an engineering hub for the development of solar cells and other technologies. The plant is a node in a network of research companies working in the energy field, making it an ideal research environment.
Understanding of markets and applications: Thanks to recent technological developments, solar cells are emerging from niche product status. A conversion efficiency of over 50% opens up new possibilities for applications and products. Promis-ing new applications are an integral part of the product concept.
Organisation and management. Perlach is designed as a highly automated plant with a relatively small staff. The expertise of the strong R&D team is reinforced, where necessary, through networking with external specialists and partner-ships. The concept is a model of virtual organisa-tion: effective, creative and adaptive to change.
Best research-cell efficienciesSource: NREL
-5Year
-4
-3
-2
-1
-0
1
2
3
3
5 200
160
120
80
40
0
-40
-80
-120
-160
-200
20
05
20
07
20
09
20
11
20
13
20
15
20
17
20
19
20
21
20
23
20
25
20
27
20
29
20
31
20
33
20
35
Total discounted learning investments
Break-even price large grid
Break-even price mini-grid
PV Wp Price
critical success factors
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Every established business claims to be a leading player. But there is only one leader in every field that sets standards, rather than merely following them. True leaders are innovative and enterpris-ing. They anticipate opportunities and make markets.
What does innovation mean? Something that is new is not necessarily innovative: true innovation generates added value or creates new values and standards. It requires a spirit of entrepreneur-ship and vision to take an idea or invention and develop the technology and business model that makes a market and forms the basis for a success-ful company.
Innovation has many dimensions. Successful innovations undergo a process of evolution, begin-ning with a novel product or process, leading to advances in services and business processes, and giving rise to a new business model that is driven by an innovative management culture.
Successful innovation combines lateral thinking, forward-thinking and method. Entrepreneurs need to have the flair to recognise opportunities for innovation, the vision to anticipate future trends and the judgement to assess the potential of new markets. They need the nerve to take certain risks and a sure eye for uncertainties. They need a sense of balance in managing risks. They need tenacity to carry an idea through and the shrewd-ness to know when to seek help.
Thomas Edison was successful because he made electricity into a commodity by adding genera-tor, distribution network, electric bulb and meter, creating a business system that was perceived as useful by customers. Apple did the same with the iPod, and Nestlé with Nespresso.
In the case of NLV W’s developments the innova-tive technology has enterprising new applications and potential business models ‘built into’ the specifications – for example in the field of photo-voltaics, with the innovative thin-film solar cell. The arc from bright idea to sustainable business model is already well-defined and underpinned by the strengths identified as critical success factors.
Projected break-even point for PV electricity
Source: M. Staffhorst, The way to competitiveness of PV - an experience curve and break-even analysis, dissertation, University of Kassel, Nov. 2006
8 NLV SOLAR AG
engineering excellence
Digital modelling is playing a vital role in research into renewable energies. In the field of photovolta-ics, NLV Solar AG is refining the methodology itself through research and engineering development on two fronts: thin-film technology, which is crucial to reducing the cost of PV cells; and work on new materials with higher conversion efficiency.
The solar industry has reached a certain level of maturity, particularly in Germany where it has been fostered by government programmes. The leading players in the industry have a rich fund of know-how – mainly in silicon-based technology. The industry is currently preoccupied with developing larger formats for photovoltaic cells, increasing conversion efficiency and reducing the thickness of cells. A related area of development is thin-film technology, which already has a 10% share of the market. Various university laboratories are inves-tigating new materials, with a focus on improving conversion efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. Other crucial factors, if photovoltaics is to achieve its full potential, are optimisation of the overall supply system, power feed-in and transmis-sion. Computer-aided modelling and simulation methods are playing an increasingly important role in this research.
Almost unnoticed, NLV Solar AG and Juno Technolo-gy Products AG have been pioneering developments in this field for the last 20 years. This work has relied largely on the techniques of digital prototyp-ing. Computer-aided simulation and visualisation have been honed to efficient tools for cutting-edge research. At the DigiLab in Zurich, Switzerland, the corresponding methodologies have been developed and the dedicated software optimised. This is the platform for widening the spectrum of research approaches. This know-how is now to be systemati-cally implemented at Perlach, with highly qualified development teams working at maximum efficiency in a state-of-the-art research environment.
How digital prototyping works
Virtual prototyping of a product, process or system allows us to interact with a digital model and simulate and predict its functional behaviour, just as we would interact with objects and test them in the physical world. The modelling capability and processing power of the computer allow unprec-edented scope for creativity. “What if” is the key to completely new insights. Digital prototyping is the gateway to a wide range of new products and processes defined by pure logic.
Modelling: One definition of a model is a small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, usually larger object. Digital model-ling is a virtual representation of reality stripped down to the bare essentials. Complex processes can be more readily interpreted and understood through visualisation. Interactive processing and visualisation of data, using colour-coded, three-dimensional images, enables rapid identification of interesting material characteristics, which can then be optimised.
Simulation: Simulation of specific functions enables us to redesign them. Costs are minimized as there is no need to build physical prototypes to verify the concept. Numerical evaluations of computer simulations are complemented by inter-pretation of visualisations. This technique enables us to create valid models of atoms, molecules and surfaces. We can simulate structural changes in-duced by foreign ions, for example grain boundary modification, or through diffusion on surfaces and solid bodies.
Rapid prototyping: The technique enables interac-tive 3-D models to be built through generation and evaluation of data, with real-time visualisation. One of the strengths of rapid digital prototyping is the visualisation of how knowledge is connected: the topology of knowledge.
Validation and verification: Simulation of analyti-cal results through digital prototyping enables us to validate virtual experiments through compari-son with real experimental data. In atomic visu-alisations we can make predictions, for example about the characteristics of a material, without actual experimental data. We differentiate two fundamental classes of property: pure material characteristics such as band structures or lattice energy, and characteristics generated by analytical processes.
1 2 3
Test
Simulation
Physical prototype
From idea to reality: digital engineering principles applied
The Nullanium story
In 1999, a steel foundry specialising in converter manufacture commissioned Juno Technology Products AG to develop a high-temperature mate-rial. There had been no advances in this area in 30 years: furnaces were still clad with traditional refractory ceramics, which have problematic char-acteristics, or with aluminium titanate, which is expensive to produce.
Target specifications for the new material:
• heat resistance to at least 1700–2000°C• an expansion coefficient of zero• resistance to high pressures• non-toxic• simple processing• capable of injection into negative forms for cast-
ing moulds• manufacturing process suitable for scaling-up to
mass production.
engineering excellence
Development process
First, the specifications were formulated as a math-ematical problem with unknown factors. An ideal material with the corresponding properties was dig-itally modelled and tested against various chemical formulae extracted from databases. When an exact match was found, a digital prototype was designed and tested through iteration in virtual models. Numerical interpretation is the key, coupled with experience in evaluating the results. The next step was to build and test the first physical prototype.
Development took six months: from idea to digital prototype in three months; DP to final physical prototype in three months. The material, over 90% quartz sand in composition, was ready for pilot testing in industrial conditions. A converter was lined with the material and 200 tons of molten iron were poured through. When the test rig was dismantled, the material emerged from the slack
unblemished and came through the heat shock test – i.e. being thrown glowing into cold water – with flying colours. Nullanium was born. This innovative refractory material can be applied by spraying onto the substrate. In terms of heat resistance, at 3600°C it far exceeds the melting point of iron, which was the target specification.
10 NLV SOLAR AG
R&D focal points and projects
Fundamental research in physics
DigiLab is working with digital prototyping on research and development projects in the fields of solid-state physics, quantum physics (including non-linear quantum effects), high-energy physics, nuclear physics, plasma physics, electrodynamics and hydrodynamics.
Electronic systems
Digital prototyping is playing a vital role in increasing the stability and functionality of electronic systems and in improving the man/machine interface. Past DigiLab projects include the development of a civil aviation data information system. It has designed innovative digital filters for audio and video signal processing and enhancement, including an algorithm that transforms 2-D image data into lifelike 3-D, without special viewing equipment. Applications include image processing for film, TV and photography, as well as filters for high-end audio equipment.
Quantrit plasma reactor
engineering excellence
Energy applications
As well as developing the Pyradian high-performance thin-film solar cell, discussed in the next chapter of this brochure, DigiLab has designed a plasma reactor for electric power generation, which depends for its effect on a non-linear quantum process. This pat-ented system, known as Quantrit, generates energy through static charging of a gas plasma.
Special-purpose machines, vehicle construction
Digital prototyping was first developed as a tech-nology for designing special-purpose machines built in very small numbers – sometimes as one-offs – for highly specialised functions. Applica-tions developed by DigiLab range from industrial fittings, for example special quick-closing check valves, to automotive electronics. Projects in the pipeline include an electric car (see p. 45).
12 NLV SOLAR AG
HardwareInfinite Reality Center ONYX 3200
SoftwareCerius2 and Materials Studio Simulation
• Visualisation and data management• Data communication• Optimisation of chemical structures• Quantum physics simulation method• Quantum chemistry simulation method• X-ray diffraction method• Calculation of HRTEM spectra of periodic systems• Morphology prediction• Simulation, analysis and refinement of EXAFS data• Full maintenance, technical and scientific support for
above-listed programs
DigiLab is a highly versatile, virtual R&D centre. It can be physics or chemistry lab, mechanical workshop or operating theatre, test site or virtual wind tunnel, eco-nomic modelling environment or artist’s studio – just by changing the software. DigiLab is an ideal instru-ment for turning innovative ideas into real materials, products and business models: from invention, through innovation, to investment. The step-up from digital to physical prototype will follow at the Perlach pilot plant.
Juno Technology Products AG
DigiLab, Zurich
High-resolution wall display
engineering excellence
High-resolution wall Display for group visualisation
ONYX high-end computer
Virtual Infinite Reality Center
14 NLV SOLAR AG
Prototyping and product development
The engineering principles developed by NLV Solar AG in computer models are now to be applied and fine-tuned in physical prototypes. One of the first applications to take the step from virtual to real will be the Pyradian solar cell, based on a modified iron-sulphur composite semiconductor.
Today, there are a number of interesting alterna-tives to the silicon-based photovoltaic cells tradi-tionally used for electric power generation. Each of the alternatives has its pros and cons. Many of them are highly toxic and/or still far from industrial-scale production.
Composites of iron and sulphur have been consid-ered in the past for use in photovoltaic cells, mainly for their good absorption qualities. Pioneering work on the potential of pyrite as a semiconductor was conducted in Germany and has now been picked up in China. The naturally occurring iron-sulphur compound, pyrite (iron disulphide or FeS2), has several inherent problems – such as high resistance and surface currents – which are only now being overcome. On the strength of the known material properties of modified iron-sulphur composites, it can be expected that industrial-scale production of corresponding solar cells should be feasible in the near future.
NLV Solar AG has developed an iron-sulphur com-posite semiconductor using digital prototyping, with very promising results. The research indicates:
• an average photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 38%, depending on ambient conditions, and a peak performance of over 50%
• the possibility of fine-tuning the material’s absorption characteristics by modification of its crystal lattice structure using ion implantation; stacked in a multilayer thin-film cell, it would be possible to tune each layer to a different target absorption frequency
• as a thin-film cell, the material could be applied to substrates in a transparent, semi-transparent or tinted coating
• the projected degradation coefficient is only 5-6% over 20 years.
The cell that is to be built on these unique proper-ties is called the Pyradian solar cell. NLV Solar AG holds worldwide patents on the modified iron-sulphur composite semiconductor. The patents also cover the modification process, involving doping with boron and phosphorus, and the software that controls it.
Fe-S composite semiconductorThe starting materials, iron and sulphur, are readily available. Iron-sulphur composites are easy and cheap to produce. The resulting material, like its natural form pyrite, is non-toxic and therefore harmless in production, processing and disposal.
The Pyradian material has a very high coefficient of light absorption, reaching peaks of over 50%, with a bandwidth of α > 105 cm-1 for λ < 1 μm – signifi-cantly higher, over a broader band of frequencies than any conventional absorption material used in photovoltaics, for example silicon, cadmium tel-luride, copper indium diselenide or gallium arsenide. Research indicates a higher sensitivity in the frequency range of visible light, extending into the infrared and ultraviolet spectra, as well as a band gap in the range of 0.95–3.6 eV, depending on the sample. Unlike conventional absorption materials, this iron-sulphur composite also shows a workable level of conversion in diffuse light.
Effi
cien
cy
Optimal ratio
Fe 46.55%S 53.45%
Absorption as a function of the ratio of iron to sulphur, Source: NLV Solar AG
The iron content relative to sulphur is crucial to the improved material specifications of the modified composite. The iron element is critical for the lon-gevity of the material. The crystal lattice structure of pyrite is stable, the Pyradian material even more so. In digital models, the long-term degradation characteristics of the material are greatly superior to those of conventional photovoltaic semiconduc-tors. After 25 years, the loss of efficiency would be around 10%. Tested in solar simulators, amorphous silicon and thin-film cells in use today show a 10–15% drop in performance after just one year.
The Pyradian material is suitable for application as a thin-film coating to diverse substrates, using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in a clean-room environment. As a photovoltaic thin-film coating, it is almost completely transparent. The degree of transparency depends on the number of layers in the multijunction cell, ranging from semi-transpar-ent at higher coefficients to almost fully transparent at lower efficiencies. It can therefore be used to coat glass substrates. The doping process and the dopants used can be varied selectively to create different tints.
There are two keys to unlock the potential of these highly promising characteristics and turn them into a commercially viable solar cell: the skill in optimis-ing the properties of the material, and mastery of the engineering processes involved in its applica-tion.
prototyping and product development
Charge distribution of pyrite, with a cross-section through the primary plane of the lattice structure.
2-D image of the charge density distribution of pyrite through the primary plane. The density peaks lie on the vector between the nearest neighbours.
2-D image of optimised charge density of modified Fe-S composite structure through the primary plane. The density peaks lie on the vector between the nearest neighbours.
Charge density of the optimised iron-sulphur composite at 0.01 electron/A3
16 NLV SOLAR AG
Multijunction cells
Another key factor responsible for the high light absorption efficiency of the Pyradian cell is the multijunction (multilayer) structure. By stacking layers tuned to different absorption frequencies, the cell can absorb the whole spectrum of solar radiation, from far infrared to ultraviolet.
Doping
One key to the improved characteristics of the Pyradian composite over pyrite is the doping proc-ess. This involves the introduction of controlled amounts of specific impurities into the extremely pure iron-sulphur composite semiconductor. It solves one of the main problems encountered with natural pyrite, namely the short lifespan of the mi-nority carriers, and it enables selective absorption of the incoming solar radiation. Both these develop-ments greatly enhance the efficiency of the cell.
Whereas diffusion doping affects only the surface of the target material, implantation is a 3-D proc-ess which allows ions of a different element to be introduced at precise locations in the atomic lattice structure of the target. The ions are shot into the substrate by means of a high-energy accelerator.
DigiLab has used digital prototyping and numeri-cal evaluation to test a wide range of dopants for their effects on the material characteristics. Optimal conversion efficiency – a key point in the target specification – is achieved with boron and phospho-rus ion implants.
For the doping process, the crystalline cell structure is positioned with an extremely high degree of precision in a special implantor. The software that controls this process was specially developed in the DigiLab and is patent-protected.
n+
p
n+
p
n+
p
n+
p
n++p+
n++p+
n++p+
Front contact – transparent conductive layer
Recontact – transparent conductive layer
Transparent conductor
Quantum yield %
Electromagnetic wavelength spectrum
nm
1 9 27 36
500 1000 1500 20000
50
100
Layers
In contrast to conventional multilayer cells, each layer of the Pyradian cell is composed of the same material. This eliminates problems caused by differ-ent layers having different physical properties – for example different expansion characteristics, which would cause the structure to break down under heat. In addition, Pyradian has a very low expan-sion coefficient. It can thus be built into a thin-film cell structure with up to 36 superposed layers (see graphic).
High-resolution transmission electron microscope images of phosphorus-FeS2 composite-boron contact layers
Contacting
One of the technical challenges in building an efficient solar cell is to minimise resistance. The interconnect paths or contacts between the layers of the Pyradian cell are created using the latest high-rate laser-scribing technology. The creation of internal circuits by laser-scribing overcomes the problem of the high resistance of iron-sulphur com-posites, previously a major drawback to their use as semiconductors.
prototyping and product development
The laser-scribing process is extremely precise, resulting in minimal loss of thin-film material where the contacts are cut. The use of silver and other metals as well as acids to create the microelectronic circuitry is eliminated, reducing resistance, energy loss, toxicity and cost, and at the same time maxim-ising the output voltages achievable by the cell.
A further advantage of the technique is that the semiconductor material remains virtually transpar-ent. In addition, the technology is relatively inex-pensive and suitable for industrial-scale production processes.
18 NLV SOLAR AG
a) Spin-polarised charge density of pyrite at 0.600 elec/A
Conclusions
The specifications of the Pyradian material make it an ideal absorber for use in photovoltaic cells. Unlike silicon, this iron-sulphur composite is cheap to produce. All rival materials involve complex and costly processes. The fact that it is a non-toxic material – harmless in production, processing and disposal – gives it a further decisive competitive advantage. All rival products are problematic.
Visualisation of spin-polarised charge density
Correlation between number of layers and transparency
4 8 16 36100%
90%
80%
Transparency
Layers
1.00.5 1.5 2.0 2.5
2000
4000
6000
α [cm-1]
μm
Absorption coefficient, Source: NLV Solar AG
It is highly suited for application in thin-film, multilayered cell structures. The thin-film coating can also protect the substrate from the effects of UV radiation and heat. As a photovoltaic thin-film coating, the Pyradian material is almost completely transparent.
A key challenge now is to complete the R&D work on the production of multijunction cells in a single process. That is the role of the Perlach technology platform.
b) Section through the pyrite structure of spin-polarised charge density c) 2-D image of electron density distri-bution of pyrite through the primary plane
quantum effects
Iron-sulphur compound semiconductors can display non-linear quantum-mechanical effects which have yet to be fully explained in theoretical terms. Some of these effects of the Pyradian cell have been explored by means of digital prototyping. Selective modification of the crystal structure appears to increase the longevity of the minority charge carriers. The resulting current-mirror effects increase the conversion probabil-ity. On the basis of these phenomena, the potential for increased quantum yield can be assumed in turn.Further work on the quantum-mechanical characteristics of iron-sulphur compound semiconductors is following up a number of lines of enquiry, including: excitation and activation of electrons in high-energy states through absorption processes; modification by ion implantation of conductivity as well as interactions based on specific energy field changes; the interaction and energy exchange between electron, photon and atomic nuclei; the electron tunnelling effect created by doping selected semiconductor layers.
Band structure for pyriteSource: NLV Solar AG
prototyping and product development
20 NLV SOLAR AG
pilot production and applications
The Perlach pilot plant will use synergies between the continuing conceptual work using digital prototyping at the DigiLab and its own design and engineering developments to fine-tune potential products and create the corresponding application technology. One of the first priorities will be to complete the R&D work on the production of the Pyradian multijunction cells in a single process.
Thin-film technology is rapidly becoming estab-lished as the methodology of choice for produc-tion of solar cells. It makes more efficient use of resources and is a more readily scalable technology. Production of the Pyradian solar cell will combine this established technology with innovative doping and laser-scribing techniques. Perfecting these technologies for full-scale production of multijunc-tion cells in a single step will be the primary focus of development at the Perlach plant near Munich.
core production processes
CVD – Epitaxy is the process of depositing substances in a thin layer (atomic scale) on the surface of another or the same material. The method used here is chemical vapour deposition. The film substance is heated with a carrier gas in a low-pressure cham-ber. It condenses out of the gas mixture and is evenly deposited over the substrate sur-face through precise control of temperature and gas flow. Multijunction cells are built up by laying down successive films in precisely controlled qualities and amounts.
Ion implantation – A process by which ions are accelerated towards a target substrate at energies sufficient to bury them below the surface. Acceleration energies can range from a few keV to MeV depending on the application.
Laser scribing – The method for creating internal circuits and junctions in mult-layer cells. A line the width of a single laser beam scribed to a precise tolerance depth. The line consists of a series of small, closely spaced holes in the substrate that is produced by laser energy pulses. The semiconductor is sandwiched between two conductors (one transparent, one reflective) to form a light-driven battery. For maximum efficiency, the panel is electrically divided into many strips, connected in series.
Perlach – engineering hub
NLV W – an offshoot of NLV Solar AG – acquired the usage rights for the former wafer fabrication facil-ity in Munich-Perlach in spring 2008. The plant is being transformed into an engineering R&D centre, focused on optimising solar technologies. The plant will produce advanced prototypes of photovoltaic cells, on a variety of solid substrates. At the same time, manufacturing processes will be fine-tuned ready for scale-up from pilot to commercial produc-tion.
On the level of product development, the most critical challenges for Perlach will be to rationalise component integration and optimise the techniques of thin-film production, stacking cells and doping processes, in particular to perfect a one-step doping technique for the multilayer cell. The project aims to achieve further significant reductions in production costs as well as increased conversion efficiency.
A further priority of the research programme is to develop new application technologies. The focus is on the target markets with greatest commercial potential: • so-called terrestrial applications: building skins,
roof integration systems and architectural glazing• automotive: electrically driven vehicles• portable electronic devices, e.g. laptops, phones.
Specific development issues facing Perlach include the hard- and software for the ion implantation positioning system and layout and control of the laser-scribing process.
German reforms of legislation relating to the energy economy have created a favourable environment for the development of renewables. The political and regulatory framework is one reason for the choice of location. Germany already has a signifi-cant renewable energy industry, including a strong research base in universities and institutions.
There are also obvious logistical advantages in Munich’s proximity to the Swiss bases of Digilab in Zurich and NLV Solar AG in Zug.
Basement with chemical and gas utilities, with interface to clean rooms
pilot production and applications
production steps
1. Preparation One-step preparation and cleaning of substrate for coating. During CVD, potential defects are detected by laser spectrometry and mapped for the subsequent laser-scribing process, keeping defects to a minimum.
2. Basic laser scribing The re-contact layer is structured in parallel and series con-nections. The next two steps are repeated until the target number of layers is created. The individual plate of 160x240cm can be subdivided into smaller cells.
3. Building individual layers Pure Iron and sulphur bound in precursors are applied forming a layer of Fe-S composite a few μm thick using plasma-enhanced CVD. The pro-cess is 99.9% reliable. With 99.9% reliability per cycle overall reliabil¬ity is 97%.
4. Laser scribing of layer structure Structur-ing to define the electrical properties of the different layers and contacts. This creates internal serial and parallel connections.
5. Ion implantation The semiconductor layers is doped with boron and phosphorus, resulting in p- and n-layers respectively. Damage to the crystalline structure is cor-rected by heating the cell to between 120 and 280°C.
6. Front contact The front contact is added and structured by laser scribing.
7. Adding security layer This safeguards the cell against direct copying of the technology. If removed, the internal structure of the cell is destroyed. It is transparent and has a double structure: the first layer is highly corrosive when exposed to air, the second seals against air. A further outer layer pro-tects it from mechanical damage.
8. Adding identification An identification code is applied by laser scribing.
9. Lamination A thin film of transparent, glass-fibre-reinforced plastic is applied.
10. Finishing Customising: depending on the specific order, the individual plates are cut to size. Contacting: front and re-contact of the cell are connected using a standard process. Testing of full functionality and specific efficiency. Framing, depending on the specific end-use. Finalising: a final inspection and packaging for shipment.
Digital images of pipework for chemical and gas utilities for CVD process
22 NLV SOLAR AG
Clean room 3 R&D for new ‘electro-mobile’ applications
Solar simulator for certification of poducts
Plasma chambers in various dimensions
1 Preparation and cleaning of glass substrate
2 Coating of transparent contact layer on glass substrate
3 Texturing by laser scribing for internal circuits
4 Coating application of semiconductor material in chemical
vapour deposition (CVD) chambers
5 Selective doping with impurities
6 Laminating
7 Internal power connectors for module
8 Test run
9 Power input
research priorities
• Investigate the physical foundations of the absorption process and precise tuning of the band gap.
• Explain how the conversion probability of the charge carrier is increased by the current-mirror effects that result from prolonging the lifetime of the minority-charge carriers through modification of the lattice structure.
• Verify and explain the physical conditions and mechanisms underlying the quantum phenomena affecting fine-tuning of the absorption material through ion implanta-tion.
• Investigate and optimise the material and technical conditions relating to stacking of the multijunction layers using CVD, par-ticularly how the thickness of the active layer influences efficiency.
• Research potential applications arising from transparent laser-scribing of the internal circuits.
• Investigate further optimisation of conversion efficiency with regard to loss factors such as reflection, irradiation, shading, internal resistance, switching losses etc.
The Perlach pilot plant3D floor plan
Clean room 1 Pilot production of Pyradian for solar roof-integration systems and glass panels
Clean room 2 Pilot production of Pyradian for ‘electro-mobile’ applicationsThe production process is the same as that in clean room 1, but the specifications for the CVD process are much higher since it involves coating complete car body parts as substrates Room 4 Testing and measuring
equipment for surface analysis
Room 5 Research and develop-ment in the area of doping and internal circuits on thin-film solar cells
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
pilot production and applications
24 NLV SOLAR AG
location
The Munich-Perlach technology centre was originally built in the seventies for research and development of microelectronics components, in-cluding semiconductors, transistors and integrated circuits. As the future home of NLV W GmbH, its past achievements should be the springboard for future success.
The high-tech plant at Munich-Perlach emerged in its present form in five phases of construction, starting in 1977. It was originally built as a base for the research team from Siemen’s Central Engineer-ing unit. Initially, the core tasks were to develop individual and integrated processes, as well as equipment for the manufacture of semiconductors, diodes and transistors; integrated circuits soon fol-lowed.
A milestone along the way was the development of a proprietary float zone process for growing silicon crystals in a wide range of diameters. It was here that the Siemens Solar division developed some of the earliest functional photovoltaic cells. Perlach was also home to fundamental development work
on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), the basis for today’s flat-panel screens. The printer head for the earliest inkjet printers first saw the light of day here, as did the surface acoustic wave filter. Since 1999, Perlach has also been home to the semiconductor lab of the Max Planck Society.
The Megazentrum, comprising buildings 84, 85, 92, 94 and 95, was created at the Munich-Perlach technology park in 1984 to produce the 1-megabit microchip. It served as a highly successful develop-ment centre for subsequent generations of memory and logic chips. This plant is the future home of NLV Group’s development company NLV W GmbH. The achievements of the past will be the springboard for future successes.
key data
Clean rooms, class 10 8,125 m2 Total area of site 25,000 m2 Gross floor area 40,000 m2
Pilot plant at Perlach near Munich, Germany
munich - perlach
26
Production buildings and offices, eastern elevation
munich - perlach
28
View showing the complete neutralisation system. All gas and liquid emissions are decontaminated in the plant.
CLEAN ROOM BASEMENT
munich - perlach
30
The basement with interfaces for all production media to the clean rooms. There are over 300 special gas cabinets supplying the process and carrier gases.
utilities
munich - perlach
32
FILTER ROOM Above the clean rooms: the filtering and control systems for the air in-take, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Each filter can be individu-ally controlled and adapted to the class of gas emission.
munich - perlach
34
The Perlach facility has clean rooms with a total floor space of 8125 m².CLEAN ROOM
munich - perlach
36
View showing the air intake, ventilation and air-conditioning system for the clean rooms below.
VENTILATION SYSTEM
38 NLV SOLAR AG
The market for renewable energies generally – and photovoltaics in particular – is growing. In countries where governments regulate supply, the upward curve is steep. The drivers of this growth are rising energy prices, steadily increasing energy requirements and concerns about the security of supply.
Photovoltaics is still emerging from the status of niche product: the price per watt is still too high to compete. But grid parity, the point at which an emerging energy source is equal in price or cheaper than ordinary grid power, is no longer a distant dream. Wind power is the renewable energy source that is currently making the running towards achieving commercial viability. In the long term, however, the worldwide energy infrastructure is destined to embrace renewables in general and solar energy in particular. There is no alternative.
Photovoltaics market
Solar energy is not a new industry, but it is a new market. The price per watt compared with existing power generation is the crucial factor. About 90% of the current market is in monocrystalline silicon-based cells. The emerging thin-film technology will establish itself as the future of solar power, but the costs are still high, particularly when conversion efficiency is increased.
A combination of market forces and development programmes sponsored by governments or other institutions will remain the central dynamic of the current growth market for many years to come. This pattern will not change until PV energy reaches grid parity – i.e. the point at which it is equal in price or cheaper than ordinary grid power – and can hold its own in an unsubsidised market. It is estimated that this will be reached in southern Europe by 2015; in less sunny climes such as central Europe it could be 2020.
In this growing market, shares in renewable energy enterprises, particularly wind and solar power com-panies, are becoming more attractive for investors. However, a number of factors govern the time-scale of economic sustainability for PV generation and supply. A negative factor is that manufacturing costs are still rising, for example in Germany, where the cost of building-skin installations rose 4.7% in 2007. Overall sales prices are tending to fall, though Germany saw a 1.5% rise in 2007. Margin pressure is leading to overcapacity; since 2004, two-thirds of energy cost savings were eaten up by rising raw material costs and interest charges. In Germany, amortisation of PV equipment is generally over 22 years, at an interest charge of 4 to 7%.
Energy security
As the installed capacity of more efficient thin-film cells grows, PV’s contribution to energy security will be consolidated. This is not just a question of remotely sourced oil and natural gas versus re-newables, but also the more mundane matter of the capacity of installed PV power plants to cover night storage requirements and demand spikes. Apart from the magnitude of installed capacity, storage plays a key role here, and the need for innovation and improvement in battery technology is para-mount. This would clearly be a complementary line of research for photovoltaics.
Engineering the future
The Pyradian solar cell has important advantages over existing technologies which will allow a significant reduction in the price of solar power: unlike silicon, the starting materials are cheap and in plentiful supply, output will be significantly increased by one-step processing, economies of scale in expanded manufacturing capacity, and last but not least the fact that the new cell is a more efficient energy converter. Needless to say, a cheaper, more efficient, environmentally harm-less solar cell, with such versatility in application, should make its own market.
However, the business model of the Perlach pilot plant and its sister research company in Zurich is not built on a single product. The forte of NLV W is engineering excellence – the ability to invent and perfect product, production and application technologies – and the intellectual property that this generates. Engineering allied with entrepre-neurship through production partnerships and product licensing.
markets and marketing
markets and marketing
- Russian patent- Arab Emirates patent- Chinese patent
rising worldwide market
Thanks to early adoption of a supply regula-tion system, with premium prices for gen-erators feeding renewable energy into the supply grid, and «green energy» consumer pricing schemes, Germany has become the world’s largest consumer of solar power in terms of market share.
The projected figures for 2010 are: Germany 38%, USA 13%, Spain 11%, Japan 7% and India 3%. The transition from a demand-driven to a competitive market is already underway in Germany, with instances of overcapacity in parts of the domestic market.
Japan was recently overtaken by China as the world’s leading producer of solar power. Previously third behind Europe, China generated 1,200 MW in 2007, in a market without significant government subsidy. China’s output, mainly low-cost energy, was for the most part exported to countries where supply regulation is in force.
France, where capacity is relatively low, has taken the initiative with generous feed-in tariffs for building-skin applications. Global market capacity for consumption of PV energy is expected to reach 10–12 GWp by 2010.
Other significant producers: Spain, which has tripled its capacity in 2007; the USA, mainly California, with 260 MW projected for 2010; Korea, which is expected to triple output in three years; and Italy, with 400 MW by 2010. Patents
Nunzio La Vecchia has secured the rights over an iron-sulphur composite (the Pyradian material), modified by doping with boron and phosphorus, for use as a semiconductor component, with Patent WO 99/56325 which covers all significant countries. All personal and property rights in the Pyradian technology rest with him. There are no third-party rights. Nunzio La Vecchia has assigned all usage rights in the Pyradian solar cell to NLV Solar AG.
Licensing
The income stream generated by licensing patented product and process technology is a key element of NLV Solar AG’s business model. The licensing model is under development.
40 NLV SOLAR AG
USA Thailand Taiwan
Saudi Arabia Argentina India
Russia Malaysia Hong Kong
Singapore Australia Brazil
Canada Arab Emirates China
Israel Japan South Korea
Mexico New Zealand
Denmark Belgium Switzerland
Liechtenstein Luxembourg Cyprus
Germany Austria Spain
Finland Great Britain Greece
Ireland Italy Monaco
Netherlands Portugal Sweden
Lithuania Latvia France
Rumania Slovenia Hungary
Norway Bulgaria Turkey
Poland Slovakia Poland
Macedonia Czech Republic
The countries covered by the international patent WO 99/56325:
European Patents
International Patents
The patents protecting the semiconductor com-ponent cover not only the highly pure mono- and polycrystalline forms of the iron-sulphur composite material, but also its doping with boron and phosphorus in all relevant configu-rations and concentrations. The same applies to the use of the material in multijunction, multilayer cells, thin-film solar cells, MIS solar cells and photochemical cells.
Similarly registered in the patents are doping of iron-sulphur composites with the elements S, O, N, H, Sn, C, Si, and Co, and doping of the n- and p-layers of the semiconductor with elements from Group V of the periodic table, in particular phosphorus, antimony and arsenium. In regard to production technology, the patents cover the manufacture of the Pyradian material through tellurium, sodium disulphide or iron dichloride melts, as well as multiple zone refin-ing by hydrothermal techniques or chemical vapour deposition (CVT). Similarly recognised in the patents is protection of the manufacture and doping of Pyradian by means of gas-phase transport using bromine, plasma sulphidation, thermal sulphidation, the MO-CVD process, reactive vapour deposition, spray pyrolysis and further processes.
Building skins
Grid-connected PV applications for architectural objects, such as roofs, coated glazing, outer walls and curtain facades, are a prime target market for NLV Solar AG. Generally, these will be delivered without system parts; customers provide the sub-strates for coating. It is not intended to enter into production of these applications, but to create an income stream through licensing.
Coating with a transparent or semi-transparent thin-film PV cell turns windows into a source of electrical power, greatly increasing the coatable surface area, particularly on modern buildings. The advantages of extending PV application to glazing is clear: substrate installations are plenti-ful; the ubiquitous energy source means low or no transport losses; readily available and safe in application; no deterioration of the surface through optimised contacting; low dilatation of glass. Furthermore, the coating can be adapted to provide shading, thermal insulation, UV protection and different tints.
The application has the advantage of environ-mental integrity, but also faces major challenges. It must conquer a conservative market. Cost-con-scious architects and building contractors rely on established systems, where cost profiles, reliability and durability are known quantities. For the time being, these are more important than efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The application also faces a race against time-to-market in a highly competi-tive field of cutting-edge technology.
Target markets
Portable Devices
Transparent multijunction cells using thin-film technology have enormous potential in consumer electronics. In fact, as a potential market this is second only to terrestrial applications.
Mobile devices with small surface areas and big power needs require very high-efficiency PV cells which pack a lot of generating capacity onto a small surface. Devices such as laptops and mobile phones can be coated all over with thin-film cells. The Pyradian cell is particularly well-suited to such applications because it is also effective in diffuse light and shade. Silicon cells become inef-fective in the absence of direct solar irradiation.
NLV Solar AG has conducted experiments with laptops, mobile phones in different climatic condi-tions to test the surface area required for effective power output, with promising results.
Thin-film cells have great potential in further consumer applications such as lighting systems, furniture and other household appliances.
Other potential markets
Remote area power systems are a further applica-tion highly suited to renewables. By definition, such locations are normally difficult to supply with carbon-based fuels or other non-renewable sources. Solar power has clear advantages, par-ticularly – but not exclusively – in warmer climate zones.
Aerospace applications are another market seg-ment with great potential. The energy efficiency and environmental impact of air travel are con-troversial. Solar power would reduce fuel payload and noxious emissions. While for space travel and extraterrestrial installations, efficient solar power is the energy source of choice.
Automotive
The second prime target market for NLV Solar AG is in automotive applications, with the principal focus on electric cars – specifically, thin-film PV coating of vehicle bodies. According to present es-timates, 3 KWh output is sufficient for city traffic. Thanks to the transparency of the Pyradian coat-ing, application on vehicle glazing is also possible: regulations require 75% transparency in Europe, 70% in the USA.
The current mid-term market trend is towards electro-hybrid vehicles with hub drive and batter-ies plus a secondary generator using various fuels. Current fuel technologies all have their drawbacks: hydrogen, with primary power generation and dis-tribution; natural gas, with distribution; biodiesel is also controversial.
On Swiss roads, 90% of car journeys are under 50 km, and 70% of the total kilometres driven are on such journeys. The requirements of urban car use could be satisfied by a combination of small cars, PV technology and improved batteries and/or local charging points, e.g. at parking meters. The drawbacks are battery-related: long charge times, limited radius and risk of explosion. For longer journeys, away from building shadows, there is a case for more advanced PV technology, such as all-over thin-film coating of larger vehicle bodies, combined with additional generators.
The market drivers are soaring fuel prices, and pressure to reduce consumption and emissions. Electric vehicles are ‘the next big thing’. Central hybrid motors are giving way to electrical hub drives. Apart from eco-friendliness, the pluses for the Pyradian cell are the possibility of all-over PV coating of vehicle bodies, coupled with climate control effects on glazing, as well as transparency and colour effects.
markets and marketing
zurich
JUNOtechnology products ag
bellevue
zollikon42 NLV SOLAR AG
organisation and management
NLV Group
The NLV Group comprises:
• NLV Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland• Juno Technology Products AG, Zurich,
Switzerland (which operates the DigiLab)• NLV Solar AG, Zug• NLV W GmbH, Munich, Germany
Nunzio La Vecchia, together with the holding com-pany, owns all the rights to his inventions.
Nunzio La Vecchia, Swiss, born 1965, is a research scientist and inventor. He has worked with the techniques of digital prototyping for 20 years. He founded Juno Technology Products AG in 1996 in Zurich. This Virtual Reality Centre develops new technologies and products on the basis of computer-aided modelling and materials databases (digital prototyping). Once the virtual product development has reached the necessary level of validation, physi-cal prototypes are built and tested.
If the prototypes fulfil their promise in perform-ance tests and have commercial potential, they are brought into a development company for industrial scale-up and marketing. One of the first such com-panies to be established is NLV Solar AG.
outlook
Over the past twenty years, Nunzio La Vecchia has developed a unique methodology to create advanced products and services, and produced some of them as pilots. More than that, he has developed a new business model based on virtual prototyping, virtual organisation and strong mar-ket orientation. This new approach is illustrated by some of the projects realised and patented by DigiLab and NLV Solar AG – the Nullanium high-temperature material, special industrial filters, the Quantrit plasma reactor, as well as the Pyradian photovoltaic cell.
The role of the technology centre in Munich-Per-lach is to make the transition from digital to physi-cal prototyping. The initial priority is the further development and piloting of the Pyradian solar cell, priming the technology for scale-up from pilot to mass production. The efficiency of the cell, the cost of production and potential application tech-nologies will be optimised. The Pyradian research programme is summarised on page xx.
The second is to maximise the potential of the cell through further development of the corresponding application technologies – in terrestrial, automo-tive and other mobile applications. Prototyping of the electric car to be built in collaboration with Koenigsegg is one example (see p. 45).
Future work at Perlach will see a widening of the focus to PV-related fields: for example, DC/AC inverters and rechargeable batteries, while the expertise gained in the Nullanium project will flow into work on new materials. Perlach is set to become a development hub for engineering innovation in photovoltaics. It will undertake fun-damental research in joint projects with universi-ties and other institutions, offering placements for students as well as workplaces for highly qualified specialists, as well as contract research, generating a fund of intellectual property through patents, and licensing technology to manufacturers to cre-ate an income stream to fund new research.
In addition to its role as a pilot production plant, Perlach will also be a seedbed for a worldwide technology licensing business. NLV Solar AG is too small to launch a business of this scale. Perlach will act as a knowledge-transfer point for prospec-tive licensee. They will be able to verify produc-tion steps and learn the techniques involved. They will acquire the Pyradian production and manufac-turing technology, along with the required plant layout and the business and insurance model.
The fourth focal point is to explore ways of financ-ing not only these projects, but beyond that, to create investment models for the basic research and development required for a complete renewal of the world’s power generation and supply sys-tem, as well as the immense investment in infra-structure that would necessitate. The urgency and scale of this undertaking means that it cannot be left to private investment. Public funds will have to be committed on an unprecedented scale.
One practical step proposed by NLV Solar AG is the foundation of an energy bank, registered in Switzerland as the New Energy Bank. In addition to standard banking services, the institution would specialise in the area of energy developments, financing installations, e.g. through energy leasing, and developing energy-specific business models. Investment would focus on power generation and transmission projects based on conventional and new technologies.
The development of renewable energy sources and sustainable technologies is one the biggest challenges our generation faces. The greater the challenge, the greater the opportunity for in-novative business models and forward-thinking entrepreneurs.
44 NLV SOLAR AG
WWF / Fund for the future
Overexploitation of natural resources and damage to the environment caused by human activities are the defining challenge of the 21st century. Climate change has a huge impact on WWF’s conservation work worldwide, directly affecting its campaigns to protect endangered species, forests, freshwa-ter habitats and the marine environment. WWF Switzerland and WWF worldwide have made it their mission to help safeguard biological diversity and encourage environmental sustainability.
NLV Solar AG has joined with WWF in various initia-tives aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues. The “Fund for the Future” has been estab-lished under the aegis of WWF’s Global Programme Framework. The aim is to cultivate a constructive engagement with the business world on environ-mental issues and raise funds for projects aimed at preserving global biodiversity and reducing the ecological footprint – the demands of human activi-ties on the eco-system.
Environmental Prizes
Together with WWF, NLV Solar AG is planning to establish annual environmental prizes. These will be awarded by the Fund for the Future.
Starting in 2009, the environmental prizes will be awarded to initiatives and projects which have made the greatest contribution in their particular field. The categories are:
• the countries, cities or regions with an exception-al contribution to the combat of climate change
• the most environmentally friendly enterprise• the most pioneering invention
The prizes will be presented at an annual WWF Gala Event, jointly organised by the sponsors. The win-ners will be selected by a panel of world-renowned experts, to be determined jointly by NLV Solar AG and WWF. Nunzio La Vecchia will represent NLV Solar AG on the panel.
Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG
Electric vehicle project
Koenigsegg, the Swedish maker of exclusive sports cars, and NLV Solar AG have signed a co-operation agreement on the project planning and development of an electric vehicle. This “car of the future” will implement the know-how of NLV Solar in the field of photovoltaics. The aim is to create a test vehicle for a ground-breaking propulsion system, making optimum use of the solar technologies developed by NLV Solar, and to patent and license those innova-tions.
The futuristic electric car has a target top speed of over 200 kph, with 0-100 kph in under 4 sec. The running costs will be minimal. It will be a develop-ment platform for innovation in the following areas:
• new battery technology: giving vehicles a range of up to about 500 km, with unlimited charging cycles and rapid charging
• overall thin-film coating of car body and windows• asynchronous motor technology• new materials and manufacturing methods to
reduce vehicle cost• minimised running costs• optimisation of safety technology• new design, improved vehicle comfort and load-
ing capacity
The cooperation agreement covers initial market and feasibility studies, preliminary technical analy-sis, drawing up of specifications, design, selection of components and materials, qualification of pro-totypes, as well as production planning, quality and reliability programmes.
Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG also aim to develop an advanced electric car which fulfils all the usual market criteria for mass production.
Imprint
Publisher NLV Solar AG - Nunzio La VecchiaConcept/editorial NLV Solar AGText Peter Thomas HillGraphic design Arturo La VecchiaPhotography Felix StreuliImage editing Detail AG, ZurichPrinting Neidhart + Schön AG, Zurich
Copyright © 2008 NLV Solar AG, www.nlv-solar.com
Disclaimer
This brochure has been drawn up using publicly available information and know-how developed by NLV Solar AG, Nunzio La Vecchia and Juno Technol-ogy AG. No guarantee is given with respect to the accuracy, reliability and/or completeness of such information. Each reader is invited to verify the information provided before entering into busi-ness dealings with NLV Solar AG, Nunzio La Vecchia or Juno Technology AG, and to consult an expert willing and able to verify the information provided before entering into such business dealings.
This brochure is for information purposes only. No warranty and/or claim whatsoever can be derived from its content with respect to any possible busi-ness dealings of the reader with NLV Solar AG, Nunzio La Vecchia or Juno Technology AG and/or with respect to any other act and/or omission of the reader based on the content of this brochure. Swiss law is applicable. Exclusive place of jurisdiction with respect to this brochure is Zurich, Switzerland.
www.nlv-solar.com
