Generation

The University of Oxford is a world-leading hub for research into photovoltaics, from fundamental materials discovery and understanding, through to research aimed at tackling the challenges with manufacturing and device performance. Photovoltaics convert sunlight into clean electricity, and are one of the leading renewable energy generation technologies. Increasing the deployment of photovoltaics by an order of magnitude from current levels is critical to meeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets across the world. However, the impact photovoltaics can have on society is not only at the utility scale, but also for indoor energy harvesting to power Internet of Things electronics, integration into the fabric of buildings to improve their sustainability, powering satellites and mobile vehicles in space, extending the range of electric vehicles, and in integration with agriculture (for example, integration with greenhouses). The wide variety of industries calls for a range of photovoltaic technologies to be developed to meet the diverse needs of these applications

Groups in Physics, Materials and Chemistry are developing technologies to meet these diverse needs. Oxford Materials have a long history developing silicon photovoltaics, which is the current industry-dominant technology for residential and utility-scale solar cells. Oxford Physics are pioneers in developing photovoltaics based on metal-halide perovskites, which reach comparable efficiencies as silicon photovoltaics, but can be made more cost-effectively with lower energy input. Importantly, these metal-halide perovskites can be integrated with silicon photovoltaics to increase efficiencies from 27% (best for a silicon solar cell operating by itself) to >34% by converting a wider fraction of the solar spectrum into electrical energy. A spin-off company, Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd, is working on commercialising this technology, which could reduce the levelised cost of energy for photovoltaics. Oxford Chemistry is working on developing photovoltaics for indoor energy harvesting, and integrating these devices to power smart electronics.

Beyond these device-oriented and materials-engineering efforts, there is also substantial focus on discovering next-generation materials that can demonstrate improved efficiency, stability or sustainability. This draws upon computational modelling of materials, and linking together with ultrafast spectroscopy and advanced characterisation techniques. We especially benefit from our close proximity to the Diamond Light Source and Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, as well as the many companies located in the vicinity. We also strongly link with the national Henry Royce Institute, for which photovoltaics are one of the core focus areas. Recently, the groups in Oxford contributed to a roadmap on the current challenges and future opportunities in established and emerging photovoltaic materials, which can be read following this link: http://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7655/ad7404

Our Research Areas