The second edition of the SPECIAL PV Workshop (Space Photovoltaics for Energy Conversion in extra-terrestrIAL environment) took place at Ecole Polytechnique (Paris-Palaiseau) on the 4th and 5th of July 2024.
The SPECIAL PV Workshop proved to be a high-level and prolific international forum on Space Photovoltaics, with a special focus on radiation effects and emerging materials.
SPECIAL PV Workshop 2024: Progress in Space Photovoltaics
Published on 07/25/2024
Organized by LSI/Polytechnique, INES-PFE, and CEA-INES with the support of SIRIUS irradiation facility and ECoVEM European project, the SPECIAL PV Workshop gathered on-site 50 people from 11 countries
Highly skilled researchers, industrials, academics and students could present their latest research and industrial results, and had long dedicated time slots to interact, exchange ideas and information on Space Photovoltaics (PV), with a focus on radiation effects and emerging materials.
The workshop was split into four sessions with 21 oral presentations:
1-Challenges for the future
Topics: Demands of the new missions, Production limits to overcome, Advanced test methods
2-Radiation effects: Microscopic
Topics: Irradiation, generation and characterization of point defects
3-Radiation effects: Macroscopic
Topics: Test methods, errors source, illumination and temperature impact
4-Emerging materials and architecture
Topics: Silicon for space, Tandem III-V (2J), Perovskite and other
Thanks to the great speakers and audience, SPECIAL PV Workshop 2024 turned to be a high-level international forum for space PV R&D. The various contributions were tackling challenges from basics comprehension with ab initio simulations, reliability with particle/matter interactions, and up to real missions with deep space PV solutions for Jupiter or even Saturn.
Among space constraints, protons damages were highlighted as key for development of alternative LEO solar cells and arrays. Healing effects were highlighted as key for performance recovery in semiconductors, polymer and glass. The mechanism behind this effect still requires understanding at material and device level. Ground testing conditions also need to be re-assessed to accurately predict performances of new PV solutions.
To address the space PV paradigm shift, solar cells & arrays will need to go thinner & lighter, while targeting cost-effective approaches compatible with larger production volumes.
Additionally, a poster session allowed the audience to interact and exchange on project and research results. Specifically, this poster session was organized as side event in the framework of ECoVEM European project in order to raise awareness among students and to foster careers in microelectronics, especially focussing on Space applications and Photovoltaics.
To wrap-up the workshop, a round table on “Trends & challenges for next generation robust space photovoltaic solutions” involving researchers from AZUR SPACE, AEROSPACE CORPORATION, CEA-INES, LSI-CEA, UNSW, FRAUNHOFER ISE & UPM, summarized the main space PV R&D trends to address competitiveness, low cost and innovation.
Besides, the discussions were extended during social events including SIRIUS irradiation platform facility guided tour, extensive and interactive coffee breaks and lunches, as well as a warm and nice gala dinner.
A big thank you to everyone for making this event live & prolific.
Scientific* and organising committees
Dr. Antonino Alessi*, LSI, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique
Dr. Romain Cariou*, Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA Liten, (Campus INES)
Dr. Jean-François Lelièvre*, Institut National de l’Energie Solaire (INES)
Celine Cote, Institut National de l’Energie Solaire (INES)
Audrey Courpron, LSI, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique
Olivier Cavani, LSI, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique
Elodie Dubois, LSI, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique
Audrey Joly, Institut National de l’Energie Solaire (INES)
