Industry Collaboration Opportunity

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Sol(Di)²T – A Differentiable Digital Twin for Solar Cells – Industry Collaboration Opportunity

Within the Solar TAP collaboration, researchers from KIT, HZB and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) have developed Sol(Di)²T, a Solar Differentiable Digital Twin for solar cells. The framework is now open for collaboration with industrial partners.

Sol(Di)²T is a fully differentiable digital twin that links materials, device architecture and location-dependent energy-yield prediction in a single framework. It enables data-driven decision-making and accelerates the development, optimization and scale-up of photovoltaic devices, making it highly relevant for industrial R&D and application-specific PV design.

The framework was developed within the Solar TAP infrastructure and supports joint use cases, benchmarking with industrial data, and tailoring the digital twin to concrete PV designs. The corresponding scientific work has been submitted and is currently under review.

The code is available as open source, and a preprint describing the framework can be accessed online.

Interested in collaboration?

Companies interested in data-driven PV design, energy-yield prediction, and digital-twin-based optimization are invited to get in touch.

Contact:
Prof. Carsten Rockstuhl

Solar TAP Research Featured Among Poster Award Winners at EU PVSEC 2025

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We are proud to highlight the excellent scientific contribution of Marie-Louise Schubert, PhD researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in the group of Prof. Carsten Rockstuhl, whose work was selected among the Poster Award Winners at the EU PVSEC 2025.

Copyright: EUPVSEC.

Her poster, “Towards a Fully Differentiable Digital Twin for Solar Cells: Simulation Steps”, presents a key advancement toward a digital twin framework for photovoltaic devices. The project integrates morphology, optical simulation, electronic transport, and energy yield prediction into a unified, partly machine-learned workflow. The approach enables faster optimization and improved design of next-generation PV technologies.

Copyright: Marie-Louise Schubert.

The work closely aligns with Solar TAP’s mission to accelerate solar innovation through data-driven design, multiscale modeling, and digital workflows.

“Digital twins offer a powerful way to speed up PV development and connect material insights with device performance. This award-winning work is an excellent example of that potential.” — Solar TAP Manager, Dr. Jens Hauch

Solar TAP congratulates Marie-Louise Schubert and the project team on this recognition and their contribution to advancing digital twin technologies for photovoltaics.

Press Release Poster Award Winners – EU PVSEC 2025

Copyright: Marie-Louise Schubert

Pocket-Sized Tool for Rapid In-Field Analysis of PV Polymers

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Solar TAP Researchers Unveil Pocket-Sized Tool for Rapid In-Field Analysis of PV Polymers

As part of its mission to bring advanced materials science into real-world solar applications, the Solar TAP initiative at the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), Forschungszentrum Jülich, has developed a pocket-sized PV-Scanner capable of quickly identifying polymer materials in photovoltaic (PV) modules in the field — directly on-site and without damaging the panel.

The innovative handheld device uses near-infrared absorption spectroscopy (NIRA) and AI-powered analysis to determine the composition of backsheets and encapsulants — key polymer components that influence module durability and performance. This breakthrough was made possible through Solar TAP’s integration of spectroscopy hardware from Spectral Engines and custom machine learning models developed in-house at HI ERN.

Solar TAP Researchers Unveil Pocket-Sized Tool for Rapid In-Field Analysis of PV Polymers @copyright by Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Such polymer differences are common, even among modules with identical specifications, due to changes in manufacturing or supply chains. These variations can impact a module’s long-term behavior — making field-based diagnostics essential.

The device, still in prototype stage, is being commercialized in partnership with LayTec, Spectral Engines’ sister company, and through Anymo, a spin-off born from Solar TAP’s work at HI ERN. Together, they aim to finalize development by the end of 2025, with early prototypes already available for pilot projects.

Solar TAP’s contribution extends beyond diagnostics. By embedding AI into the tool, the team has created a foundation for faster quality control, material verification, and sorting during PV recycling, enabling a more circular and resilient solar industry. The work has already been published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, validating the science behind the application.

This marks a strong example of how Solar TAP accelerates technology transfer from research labs to field-ready tools — reshaping how solar materials are monitored, maintained, and reused across the module lifecycle.

Read the complete article here.


 

Pascal Friederich Receives Manfred-Fuchs-Prize 2025

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Pascal Friederich Wins Manfred-Fuchs-Prize 2025 for Groundbreaking Work in AI-Driven Solar Materials.

Dr. Pascal Friederich, Tenure-Track Professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has been awarded the prestigious Manfred-Fuchs-Prize 2025 by the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The €10,000 prize honors his pioneering contributions to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing novel chemical materials, with a particular focus on solar energy applications.

As Principal Investigator of the Solar TAP project, Friederich leads an interdisciplinary research group at KIT that combines computer science and materials science to accelerate the discovery of next-generation solar cell materials. His team brings this expertise into the Solar TAP digital twin, simulating materials at the atomic scale, integrating existing knowledge and extensive materials databases, as well as machine learning techniques to predict promising material candidates and simulate their properties with high accuracy.

Pascal Friederich in the SCC (Steinbuch Centre for Computing) next to the “Hochleistungsrechner Karlsruhe” – HoreKa for short @ copyright by Bramsiepe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Within Solar TAP, Friederich collaborates closely with researchers from the Institute of Microstructure Technology to design efficient and sustainable photovoltaic technologies. This data-driven approach lays the foundation for a new era of digital materials development—faster, more efficient, and resource-conscious.

The jury recognized not only the innovative bridge Friederich builds between informatics and the natural sciences but also the high relevance of his research for solving key societal challenges, such as climate protection and the global energy transition.

Prio Optics Wins Most Impactful Technology Award at LOPEC 2025

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Solar TAP is delighted to celebrate the success of Prio Optics GmbH, under the leadership of Dr. Qiaoshuang Zhang, in developing groundbreaking achievement in optical filters with printing technology. This project, initially a transfer project from Solar TAP innovation platform at the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), exemplifies the successful transformation of transfer of research to real-world applications.

With the support of Solar TAP, the innovative ideas conceived at KIT’s Light Management Lab evolved significantly. Utilizing inkjet-printing techniques, the team developed unique filters that dramatically reduce material waste and energy consumption. This method of producing functional films, particularly Bragg mirrors, which selectively transmit or reflect light wavelengths, showcases advanced sustainable manufacturing practices.

This award from LOPEC 2025 reaffirms the value of collaborative efforts within the Solar TAP network, paving the way for more innovative solutions in photovoltaic technology.

We are proud of our partnership with Prio Optics and look forward to further collaborations that push the boundaries of photovoltaic technology and sustainability.

HZB Sets New World Record in CIGS Solar Cell Efficiency

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Combining two semiconductor thin films into a tandem solar cell can achieve high efficiencies with a minimal environmental footprint. Teams from HZB and Humboldt University Berlin have now presented a CIGS-perovskite tandem cell that sets a new world record with an efficiency of 24.6%, certified by the independent Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), in collaboration with Humboldt University Berlin, has achieved a new world record for the efficiency of CIGS-perovskite tandem solar cells. The record-breaking efficiency of 24.6% has been certified by the independent Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. This innovative tandem cell combines a CIGS bottom cell with a perovskite top cell, leveraging advancements in contact layers between the cells. This breakthrough is a significant milestone in solar technology, promising highly efficient solar cells with a reduced environmental impact.

For more details, read the full press release here.

Innovative Advances in Perovskite Solar Cell Research

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The pv magazine currently reports on advances in perovskite solar cells.

HI ERN Researcher with advanced perovskite solar cell. Copyright: Kurt Fuchs/HI ERN

Recent research from Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN), featured in pv magazine, highlights a groundbreaking materials strategy for improving hole transport layers (HTLs) in perovskite solar cells. This development directly aligns with Solar TAP’s mission to enhance scalability, efficiency, and durability in next-generation photovoltaics.

HI ERN is part of the Solar TAP Technology Acceleration plattform which ensures that cutting-edge scientific advancements are translated into real-world applications. By optimizing HTLs, researchers have found ways to boost charge transport and stability—critical factors for the commercialization of perovskite-based solar technologies.

Read the complete article here.

SCIPRIOS Wins Bavarian Innovation Award 2024

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SCIPRIOS Receives Bavarian Innovation Award 2024 for Groundbreaking Work at the Intersection of Science and Industry.

Congratulations to our Solar TAP Network Member SCIPRIOS GmbH: The Fürth-based high-tech company has been awarded the Bavarian Innovation Award 2024 in the category “Cooperation between Industry and Science”. The award recognizes SCIPRIOS’s advanced automation systems, which are used in cutting-edge materials research and are accelerating the development of clean energy technologies.

SCIPRIOS’s innovations—ranging from precision measurement devices and lab robots to pilot production systems—enable key advancements in materials science. According to the award jury, these technologies not only push the frontiers of research, but also support global sustainability goals by fostering the development of core energy transition technologies such as photovoltaics, fuel cells, and batteries.

A notable highlight of SCIPRIOS’s portfolio is the Spincoating Robot system, developed using licensed technology from Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energies (HI ERN). This innovation has further strengthened the company’s role in the Solar TAP initiative, where it contributes to scaling up printed photovoltaics from lab to industry.

SCIPRIOS Wins Bavarian Innovation Award 2024 for Groundbreaking Work at the Intersection of Science and Industry @ copyright by IHK München/Andreas Gebert

Founded in 2018 as a spin-off of FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and HI ERN by Dr. Tobias Stubhan, SCIPRIOS has built strong ties with academic institutions in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region to test and refine its technologies. The company previously won the IHK Start-Up Award of Middle Franconia in 2023.

Well-deserved recognition for a team that bridges science and industry to power a sustainable future!

Getting PV from lab to fab

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German research group Helmholtz Association hopes to speed up the adoption of flexible printed solar PV technologies by transferring advances in the lab to industry through its growing Solar TAP initiative.

German research group Helmholtz Association has a new platform to transfer flexible printed solar PV technologies from the lab to industry.

Known as Solar Technology Acceleration Platform (Solar TAP) for emerging Photovoltaics, it aims to bring lighter-weight solar PV solutions in a wider range of colors, with a greater range of transparency, not to mention greater bandgap tunability, than what is available in the market today.

A roadmap for the emerging PV applications is being developed by the Solar TAP participants, according to Jens Hauch, Solar TAP manager.

Read the complete article here

New limits of the possible

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How do we want to live in the future? And how will our visions become reality? Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich are already working solutions today. They have ideas that will make life better for better for all of us.

But it doesn’t stop at ideas. Good ideas and from the laboratory become applications with concrete benefits. How? We’ll show you in this this issue of Endeavours magazine.

We explore how our visions can already become can become reality at close quarters: for example in the CroMa-PRO project during the UEFA EURO 2024 in Düsseldorf or through the LAION research network.

It ensures that AI systems with freely accessible data sets can redefine the limits of what is possible with freely limits of what is possible – as illustrated in our cover picture. So come with us on a journey into a world, as it can be when Jülich innovations find innovations find their way into practice: green, smart and safe.

Read the complete article here (German)