Jan M. Kroon talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's Fast Breaking Paper in the field of
Engineering.
Article Title: Nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar
cells having maximum performance
Authors: Kroon,
JM;Bakker, NJ;Smit, HJP;Liska, P;Thampi, KR;Wang,
P;Zakeeruddin, SM;Gratzel, M;Hinsch, A;Hore, S;Wurfel,
U;Sastrawan, R;Durrant, JR;Palomares, E;Pettersson,
H;Gruszecki, T;Walter, J;Skupien, K;Tulloch, GE
Journal: PROG PHOTOVOLTAICS
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Page: 1-18
Year: JAN 2007
* Energy Res Ctr Netherlands ECN, POB 1, NL-1755 ZG Petten,
Netherlands.
* Energy Res Ctr Netherlands ECN, NL-1755 ZG Petten,
Netherlands.
(addresses have been truncated)
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
It was a nice overview of research carried out in a European Project,
called NANOMAX, by a highly qualified European consortium, with the aim
being to develop and test new and improved ways to realize dye-sensitized
solar cells (DSSC) with enhanced efficiencies and
stabilities.
The whole value chain, ranging from materials development, advanced
characterization and modeling, technology development or, lifetime studies,
and cost analyses, were covered by this project and described in our paper,
which is actually one of the first of this kind.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper in
layman's terms?
DSSC can be considered one of the emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies
aimed at achieving very low costs at moderate efficiency levels. For a
successful introduction of this PV technology for outdoor applications,
several factors are of importance: technical performance and fabrication,
costs, design, market demand, and long-term stability.
To realize this, essential fundamental and technological research is
required to answer the key questions related to efficiency, stability,
manufacturability and scale-up of production. Each of these issues was
investigated via the integrated research executed by a multidisciplinary
team, consisting of researchers from outstanding universities, research
institutes, and industry. The paper was therefore a representative
state-of-the-art description of DSSC technology.
How did you become involved in this research, and were
there any problems along the way?
I worked on a fundamental project on organic solar cells at a Dutch
University and moved to the department of Solar Energy at the Energy
Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). At ECN, we work on a broad
portfolio of PV technologies, ranging from short-to-mid-term options like
Crystalline Silicon PV to mid-to-long-term options like thin-film PV,
including thin-film silicon and organic-based PV (both DSC and all organic
[polymer] PV).
"DSSC can be considered one
of the emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies
aimed at achieving very low costs at moderate
efficiency levels."
The most important task for me is fulfilling the promise of the long-term
options. Progress is not always as quick as one would choose. Some clear
evidence of progress is important in order to guarantee the funding
required for full development of the technology and thereby generate
continued interest not only from the project's current industrial
participants, but also from other potential industrial parties.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
In early 2008, we began a follow-up EU project, called "Robust DSC," with a
similar consortium extended with some industrial participants and myself as
coordinator. This project intends to accelerate the exploitation of this
technology in the energy supply market.
Do you foresee any social or political implications for
your research?
The development of DSSC should be seen within the context of the total
development of PV, which is considered as a potentially key technology for
achieving a transition towards a sustainable energy supply system for the
21st century. PV has the potential to cover a significant share of
worldwide electricity needs and could thereby contribute to the security of
future energy supplies.
If research on DSSC is successful, the result would be the demonstration of
a new scalable, low-cost, PV technology, which could form the basis of a
potentially substantial business opportunity aimed at developing new solar
cell products whose cost and payback characteristics are strongly
advantaged over currently existing PV technologies.
Dr. Jan M. Kroon
Program Coordinator
Organic Thin Film Photovoltaics
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)
Department of Solar Energy
Petten, The Netherlands