Physics of Solar Cells: from basic principles to high performance

A successful 4th edition of PVSchool

The thematic school on the Physics of Solar Cells: from basic principles to high performance (PVSchool2024) took place on 12-17 May 2024 at Les Houches, amidst the picturesque French Alps.

Building on successes from previous editions (2018, 2020 and 2022), and drawing interest from across Europe (full capacity with 68 registered attendees), the fourth edition of PVSchool built on a rigorous examination of solar cell physics to challenge prevailing notions of “high performance” in the field. The program spotlighted various challenges – from achieving high conversion efficiency to material consumption, high throughput processes, tailoring mechanical and optical properties – across prominent PV technologies (Si, III-V, CIGS, CdTe, perovskite, organic), elucidated by distinguished experts including Stefaan de Wolf, Amaury Delamarre, Marika Edoff, Emmanuelle Deleporte, and Jenny Nelson.

The curriculum was crafted to provide a comprehensive grasp of solar cell technology, commencing with an 6-hour series of courses on basic PV physics, encompassing thermodynamics and opto-electronic properties of semiconductors. Two vibrant poster sessions provided a platform for participants to showcase their research endeavors, while daily tutorials enabled the application of lecture contents to practical research scenarios. Additionally, five groups were tasked with exploring various “high performance” indicators, culminating in insightful overviews and comparisons of PV technologies on the last day. A lively debate led by José Halloy opened the scope towards the notions of weak and strong sustainability.

A portfolio of the week can be viewed here (photos by Andrea Cattoni).

Overall, PVSchool2024 was a resounding success, building on the strong foundation of previous years. The organizers, inspired by the fantastic feedback from attendees, eagerly anticipate crafting another enriching experience for the next edition slated for 2026.

This year’s school was organized by Stéphane Collin (C2N, CNRS, France) Nathanaelle Schneider and Daniel Suchet (IPVF, CNRS, France), and Andrea Cattoni (Politecnico di Milano, Italy), with valuable contributions of Jean-François Guillemoles (IPVF, CNRS, France) and Marika Edoff (Upssala University, Sweden).

PVSchool 2024 was supported by the CNRS, the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (C2N), the Institut Photovoltaïque d’Ile-de-France (IPVF), the E4C Interdisciplinary Center (E4C) and the FedPV.

After the great success of the previous editions of the PV School in 2018 (Physics of Solar Cells: from basics to nanoscience), 2020 (Physics of Solar Cells: from basic principles to advanced characterization), and 2022 (Physics of Solar Cells : from basic principles to material science) in the famous Les Houches School of Physics, we are proud to announce the fourth edition of the PV School that will be held on 12-17 May 2024, in Les Houches, France. Save the date!

The PV School 2024 will focus on Physics of Solar Cells: from basic principles to high performance.

This school will cover the physics of solar cells, from basic principles to advanced concepts, with a focus on high performance. It will open on a series of lectures devoted to the basic physics for solar cells (thermodynamics, opto-electronic properties of semiconductors…) setting a frame shared by all materials and technologies. It will then turn to the diversity of challenges facing the field (high conversion efficiency, low material consumption, high throughput processes, low degradation rate, tailored mechanical and optical properties), bridging the gap between fundamental and applied research.

Overall, we aim to challenge the notion of “high performance” in PV: what does it mean? How do PV technologies perform?

The targeted audience is focused on scientists (junior and senior), research engineers, PhDs and post-docs, and attendees new to the field of PV or wishing to enlarge their knowledge in photovoltaics.

Applications open on December 20th, 2023.

Late news (Dec. 2023)! The PVSchool 2024 is selected as a CNRS thematic school: it will be eligible for the “formation continue” for CNRS employees, and the registration fee will be fully handled by CNRS for CNRS employees.

The organizers can be contacted at pvschool2024@c2n.upsaclay.fr.

Session organized by the CNRS and the IPVF:

• Stéphane COLLIN, C2N, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Saclay, France
• Nathanaelle SCHNEIDER, IPVF, CNRS, France
• Andrea CATTONI, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• Daniel SUCHET, IPVF, Ecole Polytechnique, France

with the valuable contribution of Jean-François Guillemoles (IPVF, CNRS, France).

The PV School 2024 is supported by the CNRS, the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (C2N), the Institut Photovoltaïque d’Ile-de-France (IPVF), the E4C Interdisciplinary Center and the FedPV. It is hosted by Les Houches School of Physics.