3SUN at the heart of the NEXUS project
The latest meeting hosted in Catania: the initiative brings together expertise and resources to foster collaboration between companies and universities for the energy transition
On 5 and 6 November, we had the honour of hosting the regular meeting of the partners involved in the three-year NEXUS project at our Gigafactory in Catania. The project involves thirteen stakeholders from ten countries—five companies and eight research organisations—and combines their expertise and resources to create a collaborative ecosystem for energy transition, in which the main players in the development chain are called upon to participate. NEXUS is funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, through which the European Union supports research and technological innovation to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
The plan also aims to promote training and redevelopment on renewables, by involving universities and industry in targeted human capital development programmes.
NEXUS: sustainability and technology for climate neutrality
The initiative, lasting three years and part of the European objectives of energy transition and sustainability, includes a meeting every six months. The last one, held in our Catania office, assessed the progress of activities, analysed the state of achievement of the project objectives, and planned future actions and collaborations.
On the subject of photovoltaics, and in line with the priorities of the Green Deal, NEXUS aims to develop solar cells with tandem technology, which combine a silicon cell and a perovskite cell to increase efficiency by more than 30%, and reduce the cost of the energy produced by the modules, while containing CO2 emissions.
NEXUS also addresses the key element of sustainability: the life cycle of solar cells should take into account the recycling and reuse of materials, a crucial aspect that sees us at the forefront. In this sense, addressing sustainability already at the initial design phase of the Tandem technology is crucial to reduce Europe's dependence on imported critical materials, promoting the circular economy along the entire photovoltaic supply chain.
Facing the challenges of the present and the future
Relating to the 24th month of the NEXUS project, the meeting on 5 and 6 November allowed us to take stock of developments and challenges in tandem solar cell research, and welcomed representatives of leading universities, research centres, and industrial partners in the field of photovoltaic technological innovation to our Gigafactory in Catania. By hosting the NEXUS meeting, we confirmed our role in the European PV innovation journey. And in general, thanks to these events, the NEXUS project has proven once again the importance of its active and ongoing contribution in bringing industry, universities, and research centres together and into dialogue, fostering the construction of a common vision of future photovoltaic technologies.
In particular, with the meeting participants, we focused on how research is progressing, by assessing the progress made on tandem solar cells and their energy conversion efficiency, as well as the challenges related to the sustainability of materials and production processes.
A few days after the meeting, on 8 November, the project was also presented by CEA-INEA coordinator, Perrine Carroy, at the seventh International Workshop dedicated to terojunction technology in Catania, Italy (https://www.shjworkshop.com/), which has proven a valuable opportunity to update a diverse and important international audience on the progress made in two years of work.
3SUN's role as an industry leader
Within the NEXUS context, we are engaged in the development and optimisation of silicon-perovskite (tandem) cells and the evaluation of sustainability aspects of materials and processes. Along this path, 3SUN's in-depth knowledge of the industrial production of silicon cells as a core component of tandem cells allows us to get closer to the targets set, taking us further down the road to large-scale production of this innovative technology.
One of the central topics at the 5-6 November meeting was also one of the most important factors in ensuring the longevity of the latest technologies, namely the analysis of the actual stability of the cells under operating conditions. The roadmap set out clear steps for the coming months, with the goal of achieving solar cells capable of high standards of efficiency and durability by the end of the project.
Our involvement in NEXUS also consolidates Catania and Italy's role in the European and global research landscape on advanced solar technologies. Through this collaboration, 3SUN once again proves that it can actively contribute to the development of innovative and sustainable solutions, with a significant impact on future solar energy production in Europe and beyond.