Imec Hosts Conference On Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells
The 2nd International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics (Si PV) kicked off on 3rd April in Leuven, Belgium. The Si PV conference is a high-level scientific conference on advanced crystalline silicon solar cell technology.
The conference is being hosted by R & D institute imec, in the domain of nanotechnology with a long-standing tradition in photovoltaics (PV). The conference features inspiring invited lectures, oral and poster presentations describing the most recent advances in the field, and serves as a platform for intensive discussions among experts.
The photovoltaic market has been growing at a tremendous pace over the last decade and is today a global market with a yearly turnover of more than $50 billion. More than 85 percent of PV systems produced and installed yearly are based on crystalline silicon.
It is expected that solar cells based on crystalline silicon will also capture the major market share in the next decade. Increasing the efficiencies of these devices, reducing their cost and increasing the sustainability of the technology is calling for further research and development in this field.
After the success of the "1st International Conference on Silicon Photovoltaics" in 2011 in Freiburg, Germany, the second, in Leuven, Belgium, will again focus on the science and technology of advanced crystalline silicon solar cells and modules and the properties and influence of the crystalline silicon substrate on the performance of crystalline silicon solar cells.
An international committee with global outreach and comprised of well-known scientists from companies and leading research and development institutes has selected the best abstracts to prepare a high-level scientific program.
Jef Poortmans, program chairman of the conference and director of the photovoltaic activities at imec states, "Progress in crystalline silicon solar cells can only be achieved through the combination of thorough scientific understanding and applied research. To intensify communication and collaboration between the stakeholders, this Si PV conference brings together the best scientists in the field with research and development actors from the industry. By hosting the conference, imec expresses its support and belief in the growth potential of this sector."
