Program:
MOSAIC
Award:
$1,497,564
Location:
Palo Alto, California
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
12/29/2015 - 03/31/2019

Technology Description:

Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), along with Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) will develop a prototype printer with the potential to enable economical, high-volume manufacturing of micro-PV cell arrays. This project will focus on creating a printing technology that can affordably manufacture micro-CPV system components. The envisioned printer would drastically lower assembly costs and increase manufacturing efficiency of micro-CPV systems. Leveraging their expertise in digital copier assembly, PARC intends to create a printer demonstration that uses micro-CPV cells or “chiplets” as the “ink” and arranges the chiplets in a precise, predefined location and orientation, similar to how a document printer places ink on a page. SNL will provide micro-scaled photovoltaic components to be used as the “ink,” and the PARC system will “print” panel-sized micro-CPV substrates with digitally placed and interconnected PV cells. This micro-chiplet printer technology may reduce the assembly cost of micro-CPV systems by orders of magnitude, making them cost competitive with conventional FPV. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the printer, the project team will investigate two types of backplanes (electronically connected PV arrays arranged on a surface): one with a single type of micro-PV cell, and one with at least two types of micro-PV cells.

Potential Impact:

If successful, innovations from PARC’s project may lower the cost of solar systems by allowing economical, high-volume manufacturing of micro-CPV arrays. Improved systems could encourage greater adoption of solar power in all three primary markets – residential, commercial, and utility.

Security:

Expanded use of clean, renewable solar power could reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Environment:

Solar power offers clean power generation with zero emissions. Technologies developed under MOSAIC may also enable solar installations with smaller physical footprints, reducing the environmental impacts of large solar arrays.

Economy:

Technologies developed under MOSAIC could offer a cost-effective option for clean, locally produced power across all market sectors.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. James Zahler
Project Contact:
Dr. JengPing Lu
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
JengPing.Lu@parc.com

Partners

Sandia National Laboratory

Related Projects


Release Date:
12/08/2014