The PV-center is an initiative of CSEM and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL), headed by Professor Christophe Ballif and capitalizing on the international experience of a team of 50 world class researchers and professionals with industry and academic background. It has been created to develop new generations of photovoltaic cells, modules and balance of system components, innovative renewable energy system solutions, and support the transition to an energy system in which solar will play an essential role.
The PV-center is able to provide a full range of services to partners, spanning from technology development to product prototyping, including the realization of full size demonstration systems.
The infrastructure of the PV-center includes specialty systems for coating, patterning, printing, and fabrication processes, as well as pilot manufacturing lines – from glass cleaning and wafer etching up to the assembly of functional modules. It can also process fully printable PV modules.
The CSEM PV-center offer services and supports industrialization efforts within the following areas:
- High-performance crystalline silicon cells
- Multi-junction solar cells
- Interconnection and PV module technology
- Building integrated photovoltaics
- Mobility applications
- Polymers and reliability of PV components
- Thin-film solar cells and devices
- Coatings and thin-film electronic devices and coatings
- Batteries and energy management
- Digital grids