Project

PROMOTING NEXT-GEN PHOTOVOLTAICS IN EUROPE

Different innovative photovoltaic solutions and products are needed to address the major environmental challenges the EU faces in achieving and sustaining a green electricity market. The EU-funded 5GSOLAR project aims to further Europe’s sustainable development and clean energy goals and contribute to the European Research Area (ERA). To this end, it will converge research, development and innovation as well as stakeholders, policymakers and society in the photovoltaics field. It will also create an ERA Chair team capable of implementing strategies and build a stakeholder network to help establish a renewable energy demo/briefing centre in Estonia and an EU joint graduate school in photovoltaics. The project will play a role in furthering Europe’s potential as a climate neutrality pioneer.

OBJECTIVES

The future PV market will rely on a variety of innovative PV solutions and products in order to meet the market growth potential and address the grand environmental challenges faced by EU to achieve and sustain a green electricity market. Development of non-toxic, earth-abundant, long-term stable PV materials, along with the implementation of cost-effective, robust and industrially scalable, rapid, resource-saving technologies for fabrication of low weight low-cost thin-film PV devices with flexibility in design, such as BIPV, PV powered IoT – the basis for zero energy buildings, smart cities and smart villages.

The 5GSOLAR aims to recruit a Knowledge Developer and Manager to bring complementary knowledge to the existing core team, and thereby enhance scientific excellence, to increase visibility and attractiveness, and to bridge the gap between research and technology transfer. This will positively contribute to achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, European targets for Clean Energy for all Europeans, the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Estonia, and to the contribution to the European Research Area.

The short term aim is to create a functional ERA Chair team that is capable of implementing the strategies (EMPOWER, STAND OUT, STABLE) formed in the scope of the ERA Chair, and to progress toward the vision of ensuring a sustainable ERA Chair.

The long-term goal of the ERA Chair 5GSOLAR is to build a stakeholders’ network, after the ERA Chair project to participate in establishing a renewable energy demo/briefing centre in Estonia, and finally, to establish an EU joint graduate school on photovoltaics. Completion of these tasks will unleash Europe’s potential to become the climate neutrality pioneer. The main task of the ERA Chair is to converge R&D&I, stakeholders, policymakers, and society.

IMPACT

Involved people are dedicated to disseminating the project results and novel trends in solar technologies. The knowledge which is generated by 5GSOLAR project is creating sustainable environment for PV research at TalTech and in Estonia and in European Union.

Through this, the public audience will be more aware and closer to PV achievements and trends. Project results and objectives are supporting future trends in the PV area. Better R&D&I collaboration network helps to expand dissemination in direction of the 3rd sector, which support sustainability direction.

Increased awareness is creating the basis for multidisciplinary research and more funding opportunities.  It also supports mobility between industry and R&D institutions.