European Union awards €10m to solar cell research consortium

The University of Luxembourg’s Laboratory of Photovoltaics has received a sizable grant to develop technologies for more efficient and cheaper solar cells. The University is part of a consortium of 14 partners, known as the Scalenano project, which has been awarded €10 million by the European Union.

Led by Dr. Phillip Dale, Head of the Electrodeposition Group at Luxembourg’s Laboratory of Photovoltaics, the Scalenano project will use cutting-edge research tools to specifically examine how to improve the process of solar cell development in order to reduce production costs.

“Our main objective is to develop low cost and efficient solar cell technology. Increasing the competitiveness of this technology will bring the cost down for everyone, which will eventually allow solar technology to reach the masses,” explained Dr. Dale.

“We are excited to get started and are confident we have the tools and the capacity to significantly contribute. We look forward to collaborating well with our research partners,” he concluded.

The Scalenano project consortium includes the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, EMPA- Swiss Federal Laboratories Materials Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Commissariat àl’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, the University of Nottingham, University of Luxembourg, Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana, Free University Berlin, Merck KGaA, Nexcis Photovoltaic Technology, Innovative Materials Processing Technologies Ltd. and Semilab.

The project has just begun and will run until 2015.