Press Release  of the University of Konstanz, No. 20 of 18 February 2015

Round Table on Solar Energy Research

University of Konstanz organises international conference "SiliconPV 2015" on photovoltaic research

Silicon is the most important material for the production of solar electricity; it is the basic material that more than 90 percent of all solar cells worldwide are made from. The conference "SiliconPV 2015" will focus on current and future developments of crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic research. During the scientific conference from 23 to 25 March 2015, hosted by the University of Konstanz, about 350 participants from 27 countries will meet in the "Konzil" in Konstanz. "SiliconPV 2015" is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

"Contrary to the usually very industrial and commercial conferences, ‘SiliconPV’ is a conference series organised by scientists for scientists. It is a forum clearly focusing on research and development", explains Professor Giso Hahn, physics professor at the University of Konstanz and head of the photovoltaics division. He is in charge of organising the fifth “SiliconPV”.

At this year's conference, attendees can experience 58 oral presentations and around 120 poster contributions from current top-notch photovoltaic research. "Our overall goal is increasing the efficiency level of solar cells coupled with decreasing the costs. The production of solar energy will become more efficient and even more cost-effective", Giso Hahn outlines the prospects.

"SiliconPV" is a joint conference series organised by the University of Konstanz, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) as well as the French Institut National de l‘Energie Solaire (INES).

Two workshops on the same topic area are linked to the conference: On 25 March, the "nPV Workshop 2015" takes place successively to “SiliconPV 2015”. The workshop topic is solar cells based on n-type silicon. Subsequently, the research workshop "HERCULES" will follow, jointly organised by sixteen leading European research institutes and partners from the photovoltaic industry.