PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Currently, the growth in solar energy capacity exceeds the growth in the total energy demand globally. However, due to high up-front costs and low efficiency, adoption of solar energy has been highly reliant on regulations and incentive programmes. As a result, innovation has focused on lowering cost and improving efficiency to further foster demand.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the SUNALGAE for LIFE project was to demonstrate a new, highly innovative algae material that leads to significant improvements in the efficiency of silicon-based and thin film solar panels. The aim was to construct a pilot production facility for the innovative algae material that uses recycled nutrients from a land-based fish farm.
In this way, the project contributed to the transition towards a low-emission economy and to reaching the EU target of reducing by at least 40% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. It also contributed towards renewable energy and energy efficiency targets.
RESULTS
The main objective of the LIFE SUNALGAE project was to demonstrate a new, highly innovative algae material that leads to significant enhancements in the efficiency of silicon based and thin film solar panels. The project has been able to demonstrate the production of algae material (Algica) in a pilot production facility that can be used to increase the efficiency of both silicon based solar panels and thin film solar panels (DSSC).
The project has been able to successfully prove that it is possible to cultivate diatoms all year round and extract their shells efficiently at a good quality for the use of the material in solar efficiency enhancement, but also in other applications.
The objectives of verifying a minimum 4 % enhancement of the power output from a silicon solar panel and up to 60 % efficiency enhancement of a future transparent type of solar cell (DSSC) was reached within the project.
During the project's course it has been concluded that the commercialisation of the algae material for solar panel efficiency enhancement will take somewhat longer than expected based on learnings in the project.
Alternative high impact applications have been identified and tested, which have led to a start of commercialisation of the algae material in the personal care industry.
The project has been able to successfully disseminate the progress of the project to relevant potential stakeholders and targets group in Europe.
