CONFERENCE TOPICS

Topic 1 collects all abstracts which deal with crystalline silicon up to cell level. Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon is also covered in subtopic 1.3. The whole spectrum of Si technology is divided into 5 subtopics, which address typical issues and fields of technology development, many of them dealt with on a corporate R&D level.

An exception is tandem structures combining other materials with silicon which are grouped together in subtopics 2.1 (perovskite-based tandems) and 2.3 (which includes other tandems not employing perovskites). Contributions which focus on Si module encapsulation and reliability, or electrical performance measurement technologies are better placed in Topic 3.

This Topic is subdivided amongst the different photovoltaic materials in use today or in the conceptual or demonstration phase that are not based on silicon.  An exception are tandem structures combining other materials with silicon which are grouped together in subtopics 2.1 (perovskite-based tandems) and subtopic 2.3 (which includes other tandems not employing perovskites). The Topic comprises theoretical studies, innovations in processing and manufacturing technologies and upscaling, measurement and characterisation. If the paper describes the encapsulation on a module level, it is better to be presented under subtopic 3.1. For materials which don’t fall under any of those listed in subtopics 2.1 to 2.3 you should consider subtopics 2.4 and 2.5, which present the ongoing high-end research with contributions to the understanding of photovoltaic conversion, including new materials and cross-fertilisation with other fields of optoelectronics.

This Topic addresses all the components required to form a complete system. The PV module related aspects are divided into three subtopics, broadly dealing with manufacturing, reliability and performance, respectively. The remaining balance of system components are grouped together in subtopic 3.4. Papers presented under this topic regard research, development, design, measurement, modelling, testing and operational experience. Papers that deal substantially with aspects of sustainability, such as disposal, recycling and resource issues are dealt with in Topic 5 (Subtopic 5.2 Sustainability of PV).

This Topic in general addresses single PV plants, where plant size may range from a few modules up to multi-MW. Consequently, this is the place for contributions on systems design, sizing, modelling, performance and operations.

This topic also deals with particular integration of PV, e.g., PV integrated into buildings (BIPV), Infrastructure Integrated PV (I2PV), Vehicle Integrated PV (VIPV), nature-inclusive PV (‘Eco-PV’), and Agri-PV, as well as with floating PV, concentrating PV and PV for space applications. Advances in power electronics for advanced grid functionality are also covered (note that technical developments of power converters at system component level are dealt with in Topic 3.4). The subtopic on solar resources and forecasting is relevant to individual systems, but it covers scales ranging from the local to large geographical areas. The employment of batteries in stand-alone systems or for local use may form part of systems reported in this topic, but storage related to the wider energy system is dealt with in subtopic 5.1.

This Topic covers the wide range of multidisciplinary efforts required to ensure the rapid deployment of PV technologies on a massive and global scale as a key element of the energy and the broader ecological transition. As such it covers a range of aspects, ranging from integration of high amounts of PV generated electricity into the energy system, including storage; ensuring that PV is implemented sustainably and ecologically, through to financing, market development and policy making; and addressing and ensuring societal acceptance of the role of PV in a just energy transition.