IUCRC Phase III - The University of Texas at Austin: Center for a Solar Powered Future (SPF2050)

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Center for a Solar Powered Future (SPF2050) is an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) that performs research relevant to the solar power industry. Sunlight provides a widely available energy source that can be converted directly to electricity by photovoltaic (PV) devices, or solar cells, without generating pollution, emissions or greenhouse gases during operation. The vision of SPF2050 is to enable the US and the world to achieve a zero-carbon footprint by 2050 using solar energy as a resource. SPF2050 promotes close and sustained engagement between industry innovators, world-class academic teams, and government agencies to develop higher performance and lower cost solar cells, improve PV component and system reliability, and enable widespread adoption and use of solar power systems by addressing the extensive range of diverse, complex, multi-faceted, interdisciplinary and multi-industry technology challenges associated with the use of solar power. SPF2050 research catalyzes economic growth and development, while providing educational opportunities to students, young scholars and faculty researchers to create a diverse and highly trained workforce as well as next generation of industry leaders. SPF2050 is also active in public education and societal outreach. Global energy sustainability represents one of the most important challenges facing modern society. Even with today’s significant growth rate for PV deployment, it will take several decades to achieve a majority of carbon-free energy for the world. Increased use of PV electricity requires step-change improvements in PV technology, cost, and societal perspective. Research performed at the University of Texas - Austin site in SPF2050 ranges from the development of multijunction and bifacial thin film PV with ultrahigh efficiency and performance to user-deployable, light-weight and inexpensive PVs to power internet-of-things devices. Research efforts also include increased understanding of semiconductor materials and interface properties, improved PV device design and manufacturing, improved performance and reliability of PV components and systems, development of new, more effective ways to recycle at end-of-life, and the creation of a circular solar power economy. The Center also explores creative, new approaches to land use in both rural and urban environments, integration of emerging storage technologies with solar power generation to alleviate problems of intermittency and variability, techno-economic and socio-economic challenges associated with widespread solar power use, and identification of new approaches to solar-powered electrification in transportation, heating and cooling sectors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.