"Thin film PV research and development at CSIRO"

Abstract:
Solar light energy conversion devices such as photovoltaics have been recognized as an alternative energy source to fulfill our increasing energy demand. The potential of organic or perovskite solar cells rests not in their inherently inexpensive composition, but rather in their amenability to solution-processed manufacturing methods, such as ink-jet and roll-to-roll (R2R) printing. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has developed printing processes for printing large scale solar cells up to 30 cm wide using a R2R process.

In this seminar, the development of high performance materials and the process to translate device performance from lab scale to pilot scale will be presented: a scalable process using an in-house designed slot die coater based on a 3D printer has been transferred to R2R printers and high performance flexible perovskite solar cells have been fabricated. The benefits of different encapsulation schemes in achieving stable modules will be addressed and in-situ monitoring of the modules in a “real world” test environment has been conducted. 

Bio:
Dr. Gao spent several years at CSIRO as an experimental scientist working on synthesis, modification and characterization of polymer materials on the CRC extended wear contact lens project as well as development of transparent porous polymer films for artificial cornea applications.   After completing her PhD in 2003, Dr. Gao joined the nanomaterial group of CSIRO to develop the new nanomaterial platforms for fuel cells and work on the supercapacitor project in collaboration with industry.  
 
From 2007 to 2010, she worked on the CRC dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) project as a chief researcher in the synthesis of hole transport and polymers charge retardation materials for solid state DSSC and developed the methodology and techniques for fabrication of higher efficiency DSSC.  Since 2011, Dr. Gao has been working on polymer (VICOSC project) and perovskite solar cell aspects to lead, design, screen, characterize and fabricate thin film solar cells for achieving facile, solution processible, reproducible and printable high performance devices.
  
Dr. Gao has received more than 1300 citations from her publications and two patents.  She was awarded the CMHT Chief award in 2005, CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement in 2009, and CSIRO/Chinese Academy Science (CAS) Exchange Fellowship in 2010, respectively.