TESTARE / News



21 Nov 2024

 

TESTARE 1st Research Management Workshop on ‘Sharing good practices for EU project management’:

On 18 and 19 November 2024, the TESTARE project organized with great success the 1st Research Management Workshop on ‘Sharing good practices for EU project management’, in the framework of project task 2.7. "Boosting research management and administration for a healthy research ecosystem at UCY".

The overall aim of the workshop was to contribute to the development of skills and tools for effective EU project management for the participants, and particularly the Widening partner University of Cyprus. To this end, this workshop brought together speakers from the TESTARE advanced partners, imec and Fraunhofer ISE, as well as experienced project managers and consultants from Politecnico Di Torino, FORTH, PNO Consultants, VAMK and UPOL, to engage in the exchange of experiences and practical tips in the topic of research project management.

The instructors of the hybrid training were Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (UCY), Veroni Ballet (imec), Kris Limpens (PNO), Valentina Romano (Politecnico di Torino), Eleni Petala (FORTH), Christina Stangel (FORTH), Roland Kunert (Fraunhofer ISE), Tanja Oravita (VAMK) and Andrea Nogova (UPOL). The invited speakers were supported by the EU funded projects APPROACH (GA 101120397) and TRIUMPH (GA 101075725), as well as Twin2Expand, funded by the EU (GA 101078890), and UKRI (10052856, 10050784). TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).

 


13 Nov 2024

 

On the 7 and 8 November 2024, the TESTARE project participated in the 2nd Workshop on ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’

On the 7 and 8 November 2024, the TESTARE project participated in the 2nd Workshop on ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’. The workshop was organized in the framework of a Tunisian-German research project (EXPECT) and was held in Freiburg, Germany in a hybrid format. Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi presented current studies on perovskite PV performance and degradation, focusing on real outdoor measurements obtained.

The overall aim of the workshop was to provide an overview of the new trends and advances in emerging solar photovoltaic materials and devices, including perovskite- and organic- based devices. In addition, this workshop was a good opportunity to further discuss possible collaborations between TESTARE and MENA partners, allowing to develop scientific and technological relations between the different groups.

 


04 Nov 2024

 

On 4 - 8 November 2024, the Testare Project team of the University Of Cyprus hosted Jonathan Parion, a PhD student from imec.

Jonathan joined us to work on the outdoor degradation of perovskite solar cells. This exchange enabled to strengthen the collaboration between the two partners of the #TESTARE project, gathered to perform common characterization activities under the bright sun of Cyprus!

 


27 Sep 2024

 

TESTARE at the European Researchers Night, “MISSION POSSIBLE”!

TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, participated in the European Researchers' Night which took place at the Cyprus State Fair on 27 September 2024. Organised by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the event aimed to engage both young and old in celebrating science, research, and innovation.

TESTARE participated with an interactive station, where visitors had the chance to learn about technological advancements in perovskite technologies. Specifically, a model house was fabricated, with two different types of photovoltaic technologies. The conventional silicon solar panels, which are of similar technology to the photovoltaic systems seen on the roofs of houses and in photovoltaic parks, and perovksite mini-modules. Different coloured LEDs and a mini fan inside the house were powered by the solar panels. Additionally, the voltage produced by the perovskites was indicated on a digital screen located on the roof of the house. The idea was to explain how conventional photovoltaics work (i.e. silicon panels) and to showcase the potential of the perovskites, which can produce approximately 6 V. The appeal of Perovskites to the energy community is that, due to their tunable energy band gap, they can have different colours, be semi-transparent or even be fully transparent. This means that they can easily be incorporated in buildings as windows, while continuing to produce energy. They can also be combined with other technologies, such as conventional silicon solar panels, to enhance their efficiency.

TESTARE also presented a second experiment at the #ERN, which focused on a custom-fabricated box designed to house mini solar material. This material was powered using a Keithley source meter. When power was applied, the material luminesced, allowing to study its condition with a specialized camera demonstrated at the ERN. Through this camera, signs of degradation or damage, such as hotspots, can be identified, helping to determine whether the photovoltaic module requires replacement.

Overall, it was a pleasure for our team to share knowledge about our scientific work!

 


26 Sep 2024

 

Exciting News: Perovskite PV Goes Outdoor

We are thrilled to share our recent work on the outdoor stability of perovskite mini-modules. Our team (imec EnergyVille imo-imomec), in collaboration with University Of Cyprus, conducted a two-year outdoor stability test, unraveling the degradation features of perovskite mini-modules. We also developed a machine learning model to predict power output, which showed a strong correlation between predicted and actual values.

Special thanks for the excellent effort to Tom Aernouts, Aranzazu Aguirre, Santhosh Ramesh, Tamara Merckx, Maria Hadjipanayi, Vasiliki Paraskeva, Matthew Norton, Andreas Livera, Elias Peraticos and others.

Thanks to European Commission Testare Project VIPERLAB Project for funding!

Read the research here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.4c01943

 


23 Sep 2024

 

TESTARE team at the 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC)

TESTARE project was represented by a team of researchers at the 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), held in Vienna, Austria from 23 to 27 September, 2024.

As a result of the TESTARE team’s strong collaboration with researchers from several EU-funded projects focused on Perovskite Photovoltaics (PV), Dr Maria Hadjipanayi was invited to present in the parallel event titled “Perovskite Network Event: Current Experiences in Characterisation and Indoor/Outdoor Testing of Varied Perovskite Cells and Mini-Modules”. This parallel event was jointly organized by the VALHALLA, TESTARE, VIPERLAB, and the TRIUMPH Horizon Europe Projects.

Furthermore, Dr. Matthew Norton (University of Cyprus) delivered an oral presentation as part of the main conference programme and participated in the parallel event titled “Unveiling the Future of Solar Energy with Perovskite PV.”

Last, but not least Dr. Aranzazu Aguirre from imec delivered an oral presentation on "Long-term perovskite module outdoor performance in different outdoor regions".

 


28 Jun 2024

 

TESTARE participated in the workshop ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’

On 27-28 June 2024, TESTARE participated in the workshop ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’, organized by the Research and Technologies Centre of Energy (CRTEn) in Hammamet, Tunisia in the framework of a Tunisian-German research project (EXPECT). Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (UCY), coordinator of TESTARE, delivered an invited talk titled ‘ Investigating perovskite PV performance and degradation’ as part of research performed in TESTARE project. Moreover, Dr. Markus Kohlstaedt, advanced partner in TESTARE, delivered a talk titled ‘ Perovskite thin-film photovoltaics at Fraunhofer ISE: From cells to printable perovskite PV module architectures for industrial up-scaling’. There were also interesting talks by academics and researchers from CRTEn, University of Sousse (Tunisia), and Iolitec (Germany) on topics ranging from sustainable nano-materials for solar energy, to ionic liquids and carbon nanotubes in perovskite cells, to transition metal oxides, silicon nanowires, etc.

This workshop was an excellent opportunity for the partners of TESTARE to present the scientific capabilities of the DegradationLab/UCY and activities and results of the project TESTARE as well as to meet MENA researchers from different Tunisian research institutions for potential collaboration. In addition to scientific presentations, the workshop also comprised of a dedicated round-table activity for discussions between the TESTARE partners and the CRTEn team towards finding common ground for concrete collaborations. Some first ideas have been discussed and are expected to gradually materialize throughout the TESTARE project.

 


14 Jun 2024

 

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva presented on Perovskite Technology at the IEEE PVSC52!

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva from the TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, participated in the 52nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (IEEE PVSC52), which took place from 09 - 14 June 2024, in Seattle, WA (USA).

On 12 June 2024, Dr. Paraskeva delivered a poster presentation on the “Two-year outdoor assessment of perovskite mini-modules: study of diurnal changes and stability outdoors”, as part of the networking and dissemination activities of the TESTARE at the Perovskite and Organic Materials and Solar Cells section of the 52nd IEEE PVSC.

Dr. Paraskeva participation was an opportunity to present both the TESTARE and the PHAETHON team’s work on Perovskite Photovoltaics and the predictive modeling analysis.

The IEEE Photovoltaics Specialist Conference is a world-class event that offers an excellent opportunity to researchers within the area of photovoltaics to absorb, update, and discuss the most recent and relevant developments in the field. The "Perovskite and Organic Materials and Solar Cells" section of the IEEE PVSC hosted a significant number of poster presentations in perovskite manufacturing, characterisation and reliability, offering the chance to researchers to disseminate and present the latest developments of their work and to network with the perovskite community.

 


13 May 2024

 

Dr. Elias Peraticos presented on perovskite technology at the 16th HOPV24 International Conference

Dr. Elias Peraticos participated in the 16th International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV24), which took place from 13 to 15 May, 2024 in Valencia, Spain.

Dr. Peraticos delivered an oral presentation on the “Evolution of hysteresis index based on two-year outdoor testing”, discussing work performed in the field of perovskite technology by the TESTARE Horizon Europe project.

The data presented were obtained from different samples, some of which had been exposed to outdoor conditions for more than two years, and the presentation focused on how the hysteresis index in perovskite samples varies with temperature and irradiance in outdoor studies.

At the end of the session, Dr. Peraticos had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion, in which the speakers delved into the challenges of commercializing perovskites and answered questions from the audience.

Overall, the conference explored cutting-edge advancements in hybrid and organic solar cells, including perovskite, organic, and other novel solar cells, as well as their integration into complementary photoelectrochemical systems. It featured numerous cross-disciplinary discussions with expert knowledge exchanges, emphasizing the importance of advanced materials and emerging technologies in the solar energy field. Additionally, the conference included special sessions on energy policy and career development.

Dr. Peraticos was representing the Horizon Europe Twinning project “TESTARE” (“Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability”), actively disseminating the results of the project's research activities, and networking with experts in the field.

 


17 Apr 2024

 

TESTARE-DIAMOND Joint PhD School in Freiburg, Germany offered a unique learning experience on Perovskite PV!

Researchers from the TESTARE project had the great opportunity to co-organize a Joint PhD School on Perovskite PV (https://diamond-horizon.eu/phd-school-on-perovskite-pv/) with the DIAMOND project. The event was held in Freiburg, Germany, from 15 to 17 April, 2024.

The PhD school was a journey of exploration, learning, and networking for seventy participants, including twelve speakers from the TESTARE and DIAMOND projects, as well as PhD students and early-stage researchers from over fifteen countries. The aim was to deepen the participants’ knowledge of perovskite photovoltaic technologies, including hybrid systems such as the silicon-perovskite tandem systems.

The main topics covered were carbon-based electrodes, simulation and characterization of perovskite PV, life-cycle assessment and environmental impact, perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics, industrialization of perovskite PV, stability assessment and outdoor reliability.

Dr. Elias Peraticos (University of Cyprus) participated with a poster presentation on “Advanced Indoor Characterization and Degradation Analysis of Perovskite Mini-modules using several Optoelectronic Techniques”, showcasing work of the TESTARE project and its collaborators.

Additionally, the coordinator of the TESTARE Project, Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (University of Cyprus), presented the project’s work on “Outdoor reliability and Degradation of Perovskite Photovoltaics”.

This joint PhD school aimed not only to transfer knowledge to the scientific community, but also to act as a great networking hub for establishing new research collaborations between the participating students and the respective organization they represented.

TESTARE and DIAMOND are Horizon Europe projects funded by the European Union (TESTARE Grant Agreement Nº 101079488; DIAMOND Grant Agreement Nº 101084124).

 


08 Mar 2024

 

TESTARE project shares key testing results as part of MATSUS 2024!

The TESTARE partners (UCY and imec) co-organised the COMPER Symposium on 'Towards commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics: scalability, stability, and circularity' as part of the Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS 2024), which took place between 4 and 8 March 2024, in Barcelona, Spain.

Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi, representing the TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, presented on the topic of “Outdoor stability testing of perovskite mini - modules: long-term analysis”.

Specifically, Dr. Hadjipanayi presented indoor and outdoor work from several perovskite and perovskite on Silicon tandem mini-modules undertaken at the University of Cyprus. Characterisation methods of spatially-resolved Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence, Dark Lock-In Thermography, Raman and Ultrafast spectroscopies had been utilised for evaluating the devices under test.

Outdoor testing for several months in the field demonstrated the impact of irradiance and temperature on the major electrical parameters of the devices. Interplay of metastability and temperature effects were detected in the output power temperature coefficients results while agreement was found between indoor laboratory tests and outdoor results for voltage temperature coefficients.

Overall, this multisymposium conference was well-attended whilst it dived into the progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their own demands.

 


02 Feb 2024

 

New Project by the DegradationLab team: TRANSMIT– Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for energy-harvesting windows.

A new project contract was signed by the DegradationLab team of the PV Technology Lab, University of Cyprus, this time for the TRANSMIT project, co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059).

Project TRANSMIT, titled “Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for energy-harvesting windows”, will run for 36 months and was funded under the CET Partnership Call of Proposals. The project is being coordinated by the Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Portugal, while the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus is participating as a partner.

This successful funding bid reflects the DegradationLab team’s increasing capability in going after joint funding opportunities for Research and Development (R&D) projects with industry and SMEs , as well as its increased participation in national and international funding bids and the achievement of new collaborations with key research and industrial players, all of which are objectives in their current Horizon Europe project TESTARE.

Stay updated about upcoming activities of the DegradationLab team by following the TESTARE social media.
Website: https://www.testare.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/testareproject
Twitter: https://twitter.com/testareproject
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/testareproject/

TRANSMIT project is co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059). TRANSMIT was funded by CETPartnership, The Clean Energy Transition Partnership under the 2022 joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA No 101069750) and with the funding organizations detailed on https://cetpartnership.eu/funding-agencies-and-call-modules.

 


23 Jan 2024

 

TESTARE participated in the TWIN4MERIT Twinning Project R&I Stakeholders Meeting at the University of Cyprus!

The TESTARE research management team participated in the R&I Stakeholders Meeting organised by the TWIN4MERIT Twinning Project, which took place on 23 January 2024 at University of Cyprus (UCY).

The meeting was focused on one of the objectives of the TWIN4MERIT Project, which is to improve the research landscape of Cyprus in the interdisciplinary field of Management and Economics of Research and Innovation. Additionally, the meeting marked the launch of the Cyprus R&I Managers and Administrators Network, and a crucial discussion was held on the profession, including the role and training needs of R&I Managers and Administrators.

The participation in this meeting by TESTARE was part of the team’s efforts to boost research management and administration for a healthy research ecosystem at UCY, which aligns with the goals of the TWIN4MERIT project.

 


13 Dec 2023

 

The first TESTARE Project Scientific Webinar delved into the immense potential of perovskite tandem structures

The first TESTARE Project Scientific Webinar titled “Towards upscaling stable single junction and tandem perovskite modules” was hosted online with great success on 13 December 2023. The webinar included interesting presentations from our partners at imec, who expounded upon innovative device architectures compatible with industry-standard techniques like sputtering, evaporation, and slot die coating, covering areas of up to approximately 800cm².

More broadly, the webinar was an opportunity to delve into the immense potential of perovskite tandem structures when deployed. The tandem approach represents an innovative strategy involving the integration of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with other solar cell technologies. This collaborative fusion of materials aims to capitalize on their unique strengths, fostering a synergy that surpasses the limitations of individual cells and significantly amplifies overall energy conversion efficiency.

The Scientific Webinar concluded with a fruitful Q&A with the webinar participants.

Stay tuned for more: https://www.testare.eu/index.php?page=events

TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).

 


08 Dec 2023

 

Training on the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and mini-modules at the Thin Film PV Lab at EnergyVille, IMEC

During November and December, Elias Peraticos spent five weeks being trained on the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and mini-modules at the Thin Film PV Lab at EnergyVille, IMEC. The project was funded by the TESTARE and VIPERLAB Projects thus giving access to IMEC’s infrastructure in order to fabricate these mini-modules, under the guidance of the team there, spending their time to teach him different aspects of the process. Some of the steps included annealing, thermal evaporation, sputtering and blade coating, as well as lamination.

In addition to fabrication training an aim of this project was to characterize these modules by carrying out current-voltage (J-V) scans and EQE measurements of cells at IMEC, as well as conducting measurements at the University of Cyprus outdoors, as well as indoors e.g., temperature coefficient measurements under a solar simulator, J-V scans, electroluminescence (EL), photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy and dark lock-in thermography (DLIT). These techniques will help us further understand the ion dynamics and the metastability effects that have been noticed with previous samples.

The solar mini-modules fabricated during this period will be used for the TESTARE Project (Funded by the EU) for which you can find more information on the webpage https://testare.eu/.

VIPERLAB has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101006715.

TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).

 


04 Dec 2023

 

The second TESTARE research-management webinar was successfully delivered by imec.

On the 4th of December 2023, imec successfully hosted the second TESTARE webinar on research management. This seminar focused on transferring best practices on EU project management at different project stages, and on data management within the context of EU projects. Representing the Public R&D Policies programs Group of imec, Veroni Ballet presented on EU Project Management, whilst the R&D Data Manager of imec, Nele Schouteden, presented on Data Management. The webinar ended with a fruitful discussion in the context of the project task 2.7: “Boosting research management and administration skills at UCY”.

 


29 Nov 2023

 

Towards accurate and reliable IV and spatially-resolved EL/PL measurements of perovskite mini-modules.

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva, University of Cyprus (UCY), participated in a TESTARE project training titled “Towards accurate and reliable IV and spatially-resolved EL/PL measurements of perovskite mini-modules” at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE on 28–29 November 2023.

Dr. Paraskeva attended the training as part of the 3rd scientific exchange and training organised by Fraunhofer ISE, which aimed at the transfer of knowledge and expertise to UCY personnel regarding the accurate and precise IV testing of perovskite-based devices. UCY staff also benefitted from training on spatially resolved Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence (EL/PL) techniques.

The training, delivered by Dr. Clemens Baretzky (FMF) and Dr. Alexander Bett & Dr. Oliver Fischer (Fraunhofer ISE), is tied to the implementation of case studies associated with measurements inter-comparison on EL/PL characterization techniques and on round-robin campaign for IV testing of perovskite-based modules.

 


19 Sep 2023

 

Dr. Elias Peraticos Presented the DegradationLab team’s work on Perovskite Photovoltaics at the 40th EU PVSEC 2023

On 19 September 2023, the post-doctoral researcher Elias Peraticos of the DegradationLab team delivered a poster presentation on “Correlative microscopy and spectroscopy of perovskite mini-modules: degradation analysis”, as part of TESTARE networking and dissemination activities, at the 40th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2023).

The EU PVSEC is the largest international Conference for Photovoltaic research, technologies, and applications, with the conference's scientific programme coordinated by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. At the same time, the EU PVSEC serves as a PV Industry Exhibition, where specialised PV Industry presents technologies, innovations, and new concepts in the upstream PV sector. In this vein, the global PV community comes together under the auspices of the annual gathering to present and discuss the latest developments in Photovoltaics, as well as to network and conduct business.

This year’s edition of the EU PVSEC, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 18 and 22 September 2023, celebrated the 40-year-long history of the science-to-science and science-to-industry platform that is uniquely focused on the global PV Solar sector.

This work has been financed by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the DegradationLab project (Grant ID: INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).

 


18 Sep 2023

 

Our participation in the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO-2023)

“Workshop on Industrialization of Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaic Technology (21 September 2023)”.

Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi from the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus participated in the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO-2023) which took place in Oxford, UK from 18th -20th September 2023. As part of TESTARE networking and dissemination activities, Dr. Hadjipanayi delivered a poster presentation of the DegradationLab team’s work on perovskite testing titled “Learning curves from long-term outdoor testing and indoor optoelectronic characterization of perovskite mini-modules”.

The PSCO conference programme included a combination of invited talks, contributing talks and poster presentations in an event which brought a broad spectrum of the perovskite community together to discuss and share knowledge on the latest advances in perovskite materials, devices and photophysical and optoelectronic properties, phenomena, and testing.

Additionally, this year the PSCO was combined with an industry day on the 21st September for interested PSCO and other participants to discuss Industrialization of Photovoltaics Thin Film Technology. Speakers from industry gave updates on the progress made and the challenges faced in this sector. Among them, Dr. Tom Aernouts, partner in TESTARE and representing IMEC/Solliance, presented long-term outdoor results from IMEC perovskite devices tested at the University of Cyprus in his talk ‘Scalable interface modifications to minimize cell to module performance gap’.

This work has been financed by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the DegradationLab project (Grant ID: INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).

 


05 Jul 2023

 

Great success for the 1st Cypriot PV Workshop, a Joint Event of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” Projects!

The “1st Cypriot PV Workshop: DegradationLab – TESTARE Joint Event”, was successfully held at the University of Cyprus on the 27th of June 2023 with presentations from local and international speakers on the latest trends in Research and Development in Photovoltaics (PVs) in Cyprus and beyond.

Representatives from the local and international scientific community, the industry and enterprises, as well as young researchers and stakeholders in the PV energy sector, joined this hybrid event, gaining a lot of benefits, from opportunities for networking to new knowledge on new-generation PVs. Most importantly, the participants had the unique chance to access the new facilities developed under the “DegradationLab” infrastructure project during an Open Day session!

Organized by the University of Cyprus, this is the 1st Workshop of its kind in Cyprus that provided the participants both with the scientific background in the field of new-generation PV and emerging technologies and the technical background as well as in-field knowledge of the work carried out in the “DegradationLab” project and the research activities of the recently started “TESTARE” project.

The event was a Sustainable Energy Day within the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW).
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all speakers and participants for joining us!
Stay tuned for our upcoming research activities!

The DegradationLab project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation (INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).
The TESTARE project is funded by the European Union (101079488).

 


28 Jun 2023

 

Training on “Strategies for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics” by IMEC at the University of Cyprus.

On 28 June 2023, Dr. Anurag Krishna from our partner organisation, the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), visited us at the University of Cyprus and delivered a targeted training on the “Strategies for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics” to the TESTARE project team.

The training presented an opportunity for the TESTARE Researchers to improve their insight on perovskite PV technology development, which is important when trying to understand stability and field reliability results from perovskite devices.

 


27 Apr 2023

 

Participation in the “Researchers at School” Programme in the context of the research project CONNECT

On the 27th and the 28th of April 2023, Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi, coordinator of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” projects, participated in the “Researchers at School” Programme in the context of the research project CONNECT (“Cyprus ON a mission to Engage, inspire and Connect with citizens through the European Researchers' Night”) of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF). This initiative entailed the implementation of a number of visits by Scientists at schools all over Cyprus for the celebration of World Earth Day 2023!

Dr Hadjipanayi presented the research activities of the DegradationLab team of the PV Technology Lab of the University of Cyprus to the students of Ayios Dometios and Geri Gymnasiums. The students were introduced to the world of research and realized the importance of the scientists’ mission. An insightful presentation was given regarding the research areas of the newly established strategic unit, its infrastructure and the study of new emerging technologies as part of the research activities of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” projects.

Last, an enjoyable and practical demonstration of different photovoltaic technologies was presented with special emphasis on the advantages, disadvantages and prospects whilst there was a short presentation of innovative samples, which are at the forefront of the scientists’ research.

We express our special thanks both to the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation for the organization and to the schools for hosting us!

 


27 Mar 2023

 

TESTARE Introductory Visits at imec, Fraunhofer ISE and BGU

The TESTARE consortium has successfully completed a series of introductory visits to the internationally-leading partner locations in order to gain an understanding of the current state of play regarding science, innovation and research management there. The visits took place at the: (i) Energyville campus of IMEC in Genk, Belgium, hosted by Dr Tom Aernouts and Dr Aranzazu Aguirre, 27-28/03/2023, (ii) Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany, hosted by Dr Markus Kohlstädt, 30-31/03/2023, and (iii) Sede Boker campus of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel, hosted by Prof Eugene Katz, 19-20/04/2023.

 


23 Feb 2023

 

TESTARE Press Release

New Project TESTARE Launched: «Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability».

A new partnership that brings together four countries, Cyprus, Belgium, Germany and Israel has been launched for the implementation of a new project with the acronym «TESTARE» and entitled «Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability». The Coordinator is the DegradationLab, a new research strategic unit of the PV Technology Laboratory which is an integral part of the FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Cyprus.

View Press Release in English   View Press Release in Greek

 


02 Feb 2023

 

Participation at Twin2Expand working group for research management skills

Participation of TESTARE team at the Twin2Expand twinning project working group for research management skills which took place on 2nd February 2023 at the University of Cyprus (UCY) Department of Architecture in Nicosia. Five twinning projects coordinated by the UCY, including TESTARE, were presented to the working group in order to stimulate discussion on how to best work together between the projects regarding the aspect of building capacity in research management/support and administration. There was fruitful discussion on challenges and limitations faced by the different researchers/departments at UCY in research management aspects. Also, ideas and suggestions were exchanged for possible joint actions between the projects like joint webinars, joint workshops, etc. This interaction was agreed to continue to be pursued throughout the duration of the twinning projects.

A press release in LinkedIn for this event follows:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/twin2expand_research-capability-twin2expand-activity-7034072196310278145-MOTf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

 


21 Nov 2024

TESTARE 1st Research Management Workshop on ‘Sharing good practices for EU project management’:

On 18 and 19 November 2024, the TESTARE project organized with great success the 1st Research Management Workshop on ‘Sharing good practices for EU project management’, in the framework of project task 2.7. "Boosting research management and administration for a healthy research ecosystem at UCY".

The overall aim of the workshop was to contribute to the development of skills and tools for effective EU project management for the participants, and particularly the Widening partner University of Cyprus. To this end, this workshop brought together speakers from the TESTARE advanced partners, imec and Fraunhofer ISE, as well as experienced project managers and consultants from Politecnico Di Torino, FORTH, PNO Consultants, VAMK and UPOL, to engage in the exchange of experiences and practical tips in the topic of research project management.

The instructors of the hybrid training were Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (UCY), Veroni Ballet (imec), Kris Limpens (PNO), Valentina Romano (Politecnico di Torino), Eleni Petala (FORTH), Christina Stangel (FORTH), Roland Kunert (Fraunhofer ISE), Tanja Oravita (VAMK) and Andrea Nogova (UPOL). The invited speakers were supported by the EU funded projects APPROACH (GA 101120397) and TRIUMPH (GA 101075725), as well as Twin2Expand, funded by the EU (GA 101078890), and UKRI (10052856, 10050784). TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).
13 Nov 2024

On the 7 and 8 November 2024, the TESTARE project participated in the 2nd Workshop on ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’

On the 7 and 8 November 2024, the TESTARE project participated in the 2nd Workshop on ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’. The workshop was organized in the framework of a Tunisian-German research project (EXPECT) and was held in Freiburg, Germany in a hybrid format. Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi presented current studies on perovskite PV performance and degradation, focusing on real outdoor measurements obtained.

The overall aim of the workshop was to provide an overview of the new trends and advances in emerging solar photovoltaic materials and devices, including perovskite- and organic- based devices. In addition, this workshop was a good opportunity to further discuss possible collaborations between TESTARE and MENA partners, allowing to develop scientific and technological relations between the different groups.
04 Nov 2024

On 4 - 8 November 2024, the Testare Project team of the University Of Cyprus hosted Jonathan Parion, a PhD student from imec.

Jonathan joined us to work on the outdoor degradation of perovskite solar cells. This exchange enabled to strengthen the collaboration between the two partners of the #TESTARE project, gathered to perform common characterization activities under the bright sun of Cyprus!
27 Sep 2024

TESTARE at the European Researchers Night, “MISSION POSSIBLE”!

TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, participated in the European Researchers' Night which took place at the Cyprus State Fair on 27 September 2024. Organised by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the event aimed to engage both young and old in celebrating science, research, and innovation.

TESTARE participated with an interactive station, where visitors had the chance to learn about technological advancements in perovskite technologies. Specifically, a model house was fabricated, with two different types of photovoltaic technologies. The conventional silicon solar panels, which are of similar technology to the photovoltaic systems seen on the roofs of houses and in photovoltaic parks, and perovksite mini-modules. Different coloured LEDs and a mini fan inside the house were powered by the solar panels. Additionally, the voltage produced by the perovskites was indicated on a digital screen located on the roof of the house. The idea was to explain how conventional photovoltaics work (i.e. silicon panels) and to showcase the potential of the perovskites, which can produce approximately 6 V. The appeal of Perovskites to the energy community is that, due to their tunable energy band gap, they can have different colours, be semi-transparent or even be fully transparent. This means that they can easily be incorporated in buildings as windows, while continuing to produce energy. They can also be combined with other technologies, such as conventional silicon solar panels, to enhance their efficiency.

TESTARE also presented a second experiment at the #ERN, which focused on a custom-fabricated box designed to house mini solar material. This material was powered using a Keithley source meter. When power was applied, the material luminesced, allowing to study its condition with a specialized camera demonstrated at the ERN. Through this camera, signs of degradation or damage, such as hotspots, can be identified, helping to determine whether the photovoltaic module requires replacement.

Overall, it was a pleasure for our team to share knowledge about our scientific work!
26 Sep 2024

Exciting News: Perovskite PV Goes Outdoor

We are thrilled to share our recent work on the outdoor stability of perovskite mini-modules. Our team (imec EnergyVille imo-imomec), in collaboration with University Of Cyprus, conducted a two-year outdoor stability test, unraveling the degradation features of perovskite mini-modules. We also developed a machine learning model to predict power output, which showed a strong correlation between predicted and actual values.

Special thanks for the excellent effort to Tom Aernouts, Aranzazu Aguirre, Santhosh Ramesh, Tamara Merckx, Maria Hadjipanayi, Vasiliki Paraskeva, Matthew Norton, Andreas Livera, Elias Peraticos and others.

Thanks to European Commission Testare Project VIPERLAB Project for funding!

Read the research here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.4c01943
23 Sep 2024

TESTARE team at the 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC)

TESTARE project was represented by a team of researchers at the 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), held in Vienna, Austria from 23 to 27 September, 2024.

As a result of the TESTARE team’s strong collaboration with researchers from several EU-funded projects focused on Perovskite Photovoltaics (PV), Dr Maria Hadjipanayi was invited to present in the parallel event titled “Perovskite Network Event: Current Experiences in Characterisation and Indoor/Outdoor Testing of Varied Perovskite Cells and Mini-Modules”. This parallel event was jointly organized by the VALHALLA, TESTARE, VIPERLAB, and the TRIUMPH Horizon Europe Projects.

Furthermore, Dr. Matthew Norton (University of Cyprus) delivered an oral presentation as part of the main conference programme and participated in the parallel event titled “Unveiling the Future of Solar Energy with Perovskite PV.”

Last, but not least Dr. Aranzazu Aguirre from imec delivered an oral presentation on "Long-term perovskite module outdoor performance in different outdoor regions".
28 Jun 2024

TESTARE participated in the workshop ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’

On 27-28 June 2024, TESTARE participated in the workshop ‘Emerging solar energy materials and applications’, organized by the Research and Technologies Centre of Energy (CRTEn) in Hammamet, Tunisia in the framework of a Tunisian-German research project (EXPECT). Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (UCY), coordinator of TESTARE, delivered an invited talk titled ‘ Investigating perovskite PV performance and degradation’ as part of research performed in TESTARE project. Moreover, Dr. Markus Kohlstaedt, advanced partner in TESTARE, delivered a talk titled ‘ Perovskite thin-film photovoltaics at Fraunhofer ISE: From cells to printable perovskite PV module architectures for industrial up-scaling’. There were also interesting talks by academics and researchers from CRTEn, University of Sousse (Tunisia), and Iolitec (Germany) on topics ranging from sustainable nano-materials for solar energy, to ionic liquids and carbon nanotubes in perovskite cells, to transition metal oxides, silicon nanowires, etc.

This workshop was an excellent opportunity for the partners of TESTARE to present the scientific capabilities of the DegradationLab/UCY and activities and results of the project TESTARE as well as to meet MENA researchers from different Tunisian research institutions for potential collaboration. In addition to scientific presentations, the workshop also comprised of a dedicated round-table activity for discussions between the TESTARE partners and the CRTEn team towards finding common ground for concrete collaborations. Some first ideas have been discussed and are expected to gradually materialize throughout the TESTARE project.
14 Jun 2024

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva presented on Perovskite Technology at the IEEE PVSC52!

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva from the TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, participated in the 52nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (IEEE PVSC52), which took place from 09 - 14 June 2024, in Seattle, WA (USA).

On 12 June 2024, Dr. Paraskeva delivered a poster presentation on the “Two-year outdoor assessment of perovskite mini-modules: study of diurnal changes and stability outdoors”, as part of the networking and dissemination activities of the TESTARE at the Perovskite and Organic Materials and Solar Cells section of the 52nd IEEE PVSC.

Dr. Paraskeva participation was an opportunity to present both the TESTARE and the PHAETHON team’s work on Perovskite Photovoltaics and the predictive modeling analysis.

The IEEE Photovoltaics Specialist Conference is a world-class event that offers an excellent opportunity to researchers within the area of photovoltaics to absorb, update, and discuss the most recent and relevant developments in the field. The "Perovskite and Organic Materials and Solar Cells" section of the IEEE PVSC hosted a significant number of poster presentations in perovskite manufacturing, characterisation and reliability, offering the chance to researchers to disseminate and present the latest developments of their work and to network with the perovskite community.
13 May 2024

Dr. Elias Peraticos presented on perovskite technology at the 16th HOPV24 International Conference

Dr. Elias Peraticos participated in the 16th International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV24), which took place from 13 to 15 May, 2024 in Valencia, Spain.

Dr. Peraticos delivered an oral presentation on the “Evolution of hysteresis index based on two-year outdoor testing”, discussing work performed in the field of perovskite technology by the TESTARE Horizon Europe project.

The data presented were obtained from different samples, some of which had been exposed to outdoor conditions for more than two years, and the presentation focused on how the hysteresis index in perovskite samples varies with temperature and irradiance in outdoor studies.

At the end of the session, Dr. Peraticos had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion, in which the speakers delved into the challenges of commercializing perovskites and answered questions from the audience.

Overall, the conference explored cutting-edge advancements in hybrid and organic solar cells, including perovskite, organic, and other novel solar cells, as well as their integration into complementary photoelectrochemical systems. It featured numerous cross-disciplinary discussions with expert knowledge exchanges, emphasizing the importance of advanced materials and emerging technologies in the solar energy field. Additionally, the conference included special sessions on energy policy and career development.

Dr. Peraticos was representing the Horizon Europe Twinning project “TESTARE” (“Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability”), actively disseminating the results of the project's research activities, and networking with experts in the field.
17 Apr 2024

TESTARE-DIAMOND Joint PhD School in Freiburg, Germany offered a unique learning experience on Perovskite PV!

Researchers from the TESTARE project had the great opportunity to co-organize a Joint PhD School on Perovskite PV (https://diamond-horizon.eu/phd-school-on-perovskite-pv/) with the DIAMOND project. The event was held in Freiburg, Germany, from 15 to 17 April, 2024.

The PhD school was a journey of exploration, learning, and networking for seventy participants, including twelve speakers from the TESTARE and DIAMOND projects, as well as PhD students and early-stage researchers from over fifteen countries. The aim was to deepen the participants’ knowledge of perovskite photovoltaic technologies, including hybrid systems such as the silicon-perovskite tandem systems.

The main topics covered were carbon-based electrodes, simulation and characterization of perovskite PV, life-cycle assessment and environmental impact, perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics, industrialization of perovskite PV, stability assessment and outdoor reliability.

Dr. Elias Peraticos (University of Cyprus) participated with a poster presentation on “Advanced Indoor Characterization and Degradation Analysis of Perovskite Mini-modules using several Optoelectronic Techniques”, showcasing work of the TESTARE project and its collaborators.

Additionally, the coordinator of the TESTARE Project, Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi (University of Cyprus), presented the project’s work on “Outdoor reliability and Degradation of Perovskite Photovoltaics”.

This joint PhD school aimed not only to transfer knowledge to the scientific community, but also to act as a great networking hub for establishing new research collaborations between the participating students and the respective organization they represented.

TESTARE and DIAMOND are Horizon Europe projects funded by the European Union (TESTARE Grant Agreement Nº 101079488; DIAMOND Grant Agreement Nº 101084124).
08 Mar 2024

TESTARE project shares key testing results as part of MATSUS 2024!

The TESTARE partners (UCY and imec) co-organised the COMPER Symposium on 'Towards commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics: scalability, stability, and circularity' as part of the Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS 2024), which took place between 4 and 8 March 2024, in Barcelona, Spain.

Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi, representing the TESTARE team of the University of Cyprus, presented on the topic of “Outdoor stability testing of perovskite mini - modules: long-term analysis”.

Specifically, Dr. Hadjipanayi presented indoor and outdoor work from several perovskite and perovskite on Silicon tandem mini-modules undertaken at the University of Cyprus. Characterisation methods of spatially-resolved Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence, Dark Lock-In Thermography, Raman and Ultrafast spectroscopies had been utilised for evaluating the devices under test.

Outdoor testing for several months in the field demonstrated the impact of irradiance and temperature on the major electrical parameters of the devices. Interplay of metastability and temperature effects were detected in the output power temperature coefficients results while agreement was found between indoor laboratory tests and outdoor results for voltage temperature coefficients.

Overall, this multisymposium conference was well-attended whilst it dived into the progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their own demands.
02 Feb 2024

New Project by the DegradationLab team: TRANSMIT– Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for energy-harvesting windows.

A new project contract was signed by the DegradationLab team of the PV Technology Lab, University of Cyprus, this time for the TRANSMIT project, co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059).

Project TRANSMIT, titled “Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for energy-harvesting windows”, will run for 36 months and was funded under the CET Partnership Call of Proposals. The project is being coordinated by the Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Portugal, while the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus is participating as a partner.

This successful funding bid reflects the DegradationLab team’s increasing capability in going after joint funding opportunities for Research and Development (R&D) projects with industry and SMEs , as well as its increased participation in national and international funding bids and the achievement of new collaborations with key research and industrial players, all of which are objectives in their current Horizon Europe project TESTARE.

Stay updated about upcoming activities of the DegradationLab team by following the TESTARE social media.
Website: https://www.testare.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/testareproject
Twitter: https://twitter.com/testareproject
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/testareproject/

TRANSMIT project is co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059). TRANSMIT was funded by CETPartnership, The Clean Energy Transition Partnership under the 2022 joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA No 101069750) and with the funding organizations detailed on https://cetpartnership.eu/funding-agencies-and-call-modules.

23 Jan 2024

TESTARE participated in the TWIN4MERIT Twinning Project R&I Stakeholders Meeting at the University of Cyprus!

The TESTARE research management team participated in the R&I Stakeholders Meeting organised by the TWIN4MERIT Twinning Project, which took place on 23 January 2024 at University of Cyprus (UCY).

The meeting was focused on one of the objectives of the TWIN4MERIT Project, which is to improve the research landscape of Cyprus in the interdisciplinary field of Management and Economics of Research and Innovation. Additionally, the meeting marked the launch of the Cyprus R&I Managers and Administrators Network, and a crucial discussion was held on the profession, including the role and training needs of R&I Managers and Administrators.

The participation in this meeting by TESTARE was part of the team’s efforts to boost research management and administration for a healthy research ecosystem at UCY, which aligns with the goals of the TWIN4MERIT project.
13 Dec 2023

The first TESTARE Project Scientific Webinar delved into the immense potential of perovskite tandem structures

The first TESTARE Project Scientific Webinar titled “Towards upscaling stable single junction and tandem perovskite modules” was hosted online with great success on 13 December 2023. The webinar included interesting presentations from our partners at imec, who expounded upon innovative device architectures compatible with industry-standard techniques like sputtering, evaporation, and slot die coating, covering areas of up to approximately 800cm².

More broadly, the webinar was an opportunity to delve into the immense potential of perovskite tandem structures when deployed. The tandem approach represents an innovative strategy involving the integration of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with other solar cell technologies. This collaborative fusion of materials aims to capitalize on their unique strengths, fostering a synergy that surpasses the limitations of individual cells and significantly amplifies overall energy conversion efficiency.

The Scientific Webinar concluded with a fruitful Q&A with the webinar participants.

Stay tuned for more: https://www.testare.eu/index.php?page=events

TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).
08 Dec 2023

Training on the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and mini-modules at the Thin Film PV Lab at EnergyVille, IMEC

During November and December, Elias Peraticos spent five weeks being trained on the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and mini-modules at the Thin Film PV Lab at EnergyVille, IMEC. The project was funded by the TESTARE and VIPERLAB Projects thus giving access to IMEC’s infrastructure in order to fabricate these mini-modules, under the guidance of the team there, spending their time to teach him different aspects of the process. Some of the steps included annealing, thermal evaporation, sputtering and blade coating, as well as lamination.

In addition to fabrication training an aim of this project was to characterize these modules by carrying out current-voltage (J-V) scans and EQE measurements of cells at IMEC, as well as conducting measurements at the University of Cyprus outdoors, as well as indoors e.g., temperature coefficient measurements under a solar simulator, J-V scans, electroluminescence (EL), photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy and dark lock-in thermography (DLIT). These techniques will help us further understand the ion dynamics and the metastability effects that have been noticed with previous samples.

The solar mini-modules fabricated during this period will be used for the TESTARE Project (Funded by the EU) for which you can find more information on the webpage https://testare.eu/.

VIPERLAB has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101006715.

TESTARE is funded by the European Union (Grant agreement number 101079488).
04 Dec 2023

The second TESTARE research-management webinar was successfully delivered by imec.

On the 4th of December 2023, imec successfully hosted the second TESTARE webinar on research management. This seminar focused on transferring best practices on EU project management at different project stages, and on data management within the context of EU projects. Representing the Public R&D Policies programs Group of imec, Veroni Ballet presented on EU Project Management, whilst the R&D Data Manager of imec, Nele Schouteden, presented on Data Management. The webinar ended with a fruitful discussion in the context of the project task 2.7: “Boosting research management and administration skills at UCY”.
29 Nov 2023

Towards accurate and reliable IV and spatially-resolved EL/PL measurements of perovskite mini-modules.

Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva, University of Cyprus (UCY), participated in a TESTARE project training titled “Towards accurate and reliable IV and spatially-resolved EL/PL measurements of perovskite mini-modules” at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE on 28–29 November 2023.

Dr. Paraskeva attended the training as part of the 3rd scientific exchange and training organised by Fraunhofer ISE, which aimed at the transfer of knowledge and expertise to UCY personnel regarding the accurate and precise IV testing of perovskite-based devices. UCY staff also benefitted from training on spatially resolved Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence (EL/PL) techniques.

The training, delivered by Dr. Clemens Baretzky (FMF) and Dr. Alexander Bett & Dr. Oliver Fischer (Fraunhofer ISE), is tied to the implementation of case studies associated with measurements inter-comparison on EL/PL characterization techniques and on round-robin campaign for IV testing of perovskite-based modules.
19 Sep 2023

Dr. Elias Peraticos Presented the DegradationLab team’s work on Perovskite Photovoltaics at the 40th EU PVSEC 2023

On 19 September 2023, the post-doctoral researcher Elias Peraticos of the DegradationLab team delivered a poster presentation on “Correlative microscopy and spectroscopy of perovskite mini-modules: degradation analysis”, as part of TESTARE networking and dissemination activities, at the 40th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2023).

The EU PVSEC is the largest international Conference for Photovoltaic research, technologies, and applications, with the conference's scientific programme coordinated by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. At the same time, the EU PVSEC serves as a PV Industry Exhibition, where specialised PV Industry presents technologies, innovations, and new concepts in the upstream PV sector. In this vein, the global PV community comes together under the auspices of the annual gathering to present and discuss the latest developments in Photovoltaics, as well as to network and conduct business.

This year’s edition of the EU PVSEC, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 18 and 22 September 2023, celebrated the 40-year-long history of the science-to-science and science-to-industry platform that is uniquely focused on the global PV Solar sector.

This work has been financed by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the DegradationLab project (Grant ID: INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).
18 Sep 2023

Our participation in the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO-2023)

“Workshop on Industrialization of Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaic Technology (21 September 2023)”.

Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi from the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus participated in the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO-2023) which took place in Oxford, UK from 18th -20th September 2023. As part of TESTARE networking and dissemination activities, Dr. Hadjipanayi delivered a poster presentation of the DegradationLab team’s work on perovskite testing titled “Learning curves from long-term outdoor testing and indoor optoelectronic characterization of perovskite mini-modules”.

The PSCO conference programme included a combination of invited talks, contributing talks and poster presentations in an event which brought a broad spectrum of the perovskite community together to discuss and share knowledge on the latest advances in perovskite materials, devices and photophysical and optoelectronic properties, phenomena, and testing.

Additionally, this year the PSCO was combined with an industry day on the 21st September for interested PSCO and other participants to discuss Industrialization of Photovoltaics Thin Film Technology. Speakers from industry gave updates on the progress made and the challenges faced in this sector. Among them, Dr. Tom Aernouts, partner in TESTARE and representing IMEC/Solliance, presented long-term outdoor results from IMEC perovskite devices tested at the University of Cyprus in his talk ‘Scalable interface modifications to minimize cell to module performance gap’.

This work has been financed by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the DegradationLab project (Grant ID: INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).

05 Jul 2023

Great success for the 1st Cypriot PV Workshop, a Joint Event of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” Projects!

The “1st Cypriot PV Workshop: DegradationLab – TESTARE Joint Event”, was successfully held at the University of Cyprus on the 27th of June 2023 with presentations from local and international speakers on the latest trends in Research and Development in Photovoltaics (PVs) in Cyprus and beyond.

Representatives from the local and international scientific community, the industry and enterprises, as well as young researchers and stakeholders in the PV energy sector, joined this hybrid event, gaining a lot of benefits, from opportunities for networking to new knowledge on new-generation PVs. Most importantly, the participants had the unique chance to access the new facilities developed under the “DegradationLab” infrastructure project during an Open Day session!

Organized by the University of Cyprus, this is the 1st Workshop of its kind in Cyprus that provided the participants both with the scientific background in the field of new-generation PV and emerging technologies and the technical background as well as in-field knowledge of the work carried out in the “DegradationLab” project and the research activities of the recently started “TESTARE” project.

The event was a Sustainable Energy Day within the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW).
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all speakers and participants for joining us!
Stay tuned for our upcoming research activities!

The DegradationLab project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation (INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).
The TESTARE project is funded by the European Union (101079488).
28 Jun 2023

Training on “Strategies for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics” by IMEC at the University of Cyprus.

On 28 June 2023, Dr. Anurag Krishna from our partner organisation, the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), visited us at the University of Cyprus and delivered a targeted training on the “Strategies for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics” to the TESTARE project team.

The training presented an opportunity for the TESTARE Researchers to improve their insight on perovskite PV technology development, which is important when trying to understand stability and field reliability results from perovskite devices.
27 Apr 2023

Participation in the “Researchers at School” Programme in the context of the research project CONNECT

On the 27th and the 28th of April 2023, Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi, coordinator of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” projects, participated in the “Researchers at School” Programme in the context of the research project CONNECT (“Cyprus ON a mission to Engage, inspire and Connect with citizens through the European Researchers' Night”) of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF). This initiative entailed the implementation of a number of visits by Scientists at schools all over Cyprus for the celebration of World Earth Day 2023!

Dr Hadjipanayi presented the research activities of the DegradationLab team of the PV Technology Lab of the University of Cyprus to the students of Ayios Dometios and Geri Gymnasiums. The students were introduced to the world of research and realized the importance of the scientists’ mission. An insightful presentation was given regarding the research areas of the newly established strategic unit, its infrastructure and the study of new emerging technologies as part of the research activities of the “DegradationLab” and “TESTARE” projects.

Last, an enjoyable and practical demonstration of different photovoltaic technologies was presented with special emphasis on the advantages, disadvantages and prospects whilst there was a short presentation of innovative samples, which are at the forefront of the scientists’ research.

We express our special thanks both to the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation for the organization and to the schools for hosting us!
27 Mar 2023

TESTARE Introductory Visits at imec, Fraunhofer ISE and BGU

The TESTARE consortium has successfully completed a series of introductory visits to the internationally-leading partner locations in order to gain an understanding of the current state of play regarding science, innovation and research management there. The visits took place at the: (i) Energyville campus of IMEC in Genk, Belgium, hosted by Dr Tom Aernouts and Dr Aranzazu Aguirre, 27-28/03/2023, (ii) Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany, hosted by Dr Markus Kohlstädt, 30-31/03/2023, and (iii) Sede Boker campus of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel, hosted by Prof Eugene Katz, 19-20/04/2023.
23 Feb 2023

TESTARE Press Release

New Project TESTARE Launched: «Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability».

A new partnership that brings together four countries, Cyprus, Belgium, Germany and Israel has been launched for the implementation of a new project with the acronym «TESTARE» and entitled «Twinning for excellence in TEsting new generation PV: Long-term STAbility and field REliability». The Coordinator is the DegradationLab, a new research strategic unit of the PV Technology Laboratory which is an integral part of the FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Cyprus.

View Press Release in English   View Press Release in Greek
02 Feb 2023

Participation at Twin2Expand working group for research management skills

Participation of TESTARE team at the Twin2Expand twinning project working group for research management skills which took place on 2nd February 2023 at the University of Cyprus (UCY) Department of Architecture in Nicosia. Five twinning projects coordinated by the UCY, including TESTARE, were presented to the working group in order to stimulate discussion on how to best work together between the projects regarding the aspect of building capacity in research management/support and administration. There was fruitful discussion on challenges and limitations faced by the different researchers/departments at UCY in research management aspects. Also, ideas and suggestions were exchanged for possible joint actions between the projects like joint webinars, joint workshops, etc. This interaction was agreed to continue to be pursued throughout the duration of the twinning projects.

A press release in LinkedIn for this event follows:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/twin2expand_research-capability-twin2expand-activity-7034072196310278145-MOTf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop