A research team led by Dr. Song Hee-eun at the Photovoltaics Research Department of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER, President Kim Jong-nam) established an integrated solar-cell platform center capable of producing crystalline silicon solar cells with the aim to help small and medium enterprises specializing in photovoltaic materials, components, and equipment resolve the insufficiency of relevant infrastructure.

The solar-cell platform center has a clean room that houses a 5MW passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar-cell production facilities and top-tier analysis equipment. The center offers many companies, universities, and research institutes crystalline silicon solar cells and half-finished products, unit operations, and analysis services.

To help businesses resolve technical challenges and commercialize their developments, the center has a PERC solar-cell package line, with which it assists small and medium photovoltaic companies in developing processes and prototypes. The joint use of the equipment significantly cut down companies’ financial burden to 1/20 and processing time to 1/25, while increasing the equipment’s uptime.

The platform center also offers the energy doctor program where researchers and companies are matched one to one to find solutions to their technical challenges. With the aim to help people better understand solar cells, the center developed a range of educational programs on theories and practice of solar cells for elementary, middle, and high school teachers, university students, and hands-on workers. Since January 2018, the center has a track record of offering process support to enterprises, universities and research institutes, industry, and academia―240 in total―and the number is still increasing.

Small and medium enterprises seeking assistance in photovoltaic projects may visit the KIER website for process support and consulting. By developing prototypes and testing them for businesses, the research team aims to help them overcome challenges and sharpen their competitive edge and ultimately contribute to the government’s renewable energy policies and Green New Deal policies.