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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/M014797/1
Title: Improved Understanding, Development and Optimisation of Perovskite-based Solar Cells
Principal Investigator: Walls, Professor JM
Other Investigators:
Boden, Dr SA Lagoudakis, Professor P Durose, Professor K
Nelson, Professor J Greenham, Professor N Gottschalg, Professor R
Buckley, Dr A R Snaith, Professor HJ Friend, Professor Sir R
Walker, Professor AB Lidzey, Professor D Durrant, Professor J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Colorado State University M-Solv Ltd NREL (Nat Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Ossila Ltd. Oxford Photovoltaics Limited University of New South Wales
Department: Wolfson Sch of Mech, Elec & Manufac Eng
Organisation: Loughborough University
Scheme: Standard Research - NR1
Starts: 01 January 2015 Ends: 31 October 2017 Value (£): 800,500
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Solar Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
28 Aug 2014 SUPERGEN PLUS Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Solar is an increasingly important source of power generation. Word-wide installations of new solar modules will exceed 40GW in 2014 with over 1GW that capacity will be installed in the UK. The cost of modules has decreased sharply over the past two years due to over-supply from manufacturers. The cost reduction is now stimulating demand because the cost of energy from solar is now at 'grid parity' in some important regions of the world.

An exciting new type of solar cell based on thin film perovskite light absorbers has been discovered in the UK which has the potential to lower costs still further. The discovery has been made by a team of researchers at Oxford University. The progress they have made with these new devices has been unprecedented and in only two years the Oxford team has achieved conversion efficiencies exceeding 17%. Moreover, the technology has been protected by filing patent applications on the fundamental discoveries.

The Supergen Supersolar Hub comprises eight of the UK's leading University groups (including Oxford) engaged in the development of photovoltaic technologies. The Supergen SuperSolar Hub was quick to recognise the importance of the perovskite development and has already funded complementary research programmes in Hub member and Associate member laboratories through its flexible funding. This proposal for Supergen + funding will increase the scope and ambition of the Hub's perovskite research in modelling, synthesis, process optimization and characterization to boost conversion efficiencies still further and help maintain the UK's leadership position. In addition to the proposed research, proposals are made to increase the Hub's involvement with industry and with leading International laboratories to accelerate progress and lay the foundations for timely exploitation.

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Organisation Website: http://www.lboro.ac.uk