NAMI Unleashed the Power of Helios - Speakers Addressed Emerging Trends in Photovoltaic Technologies

Oct. 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Nano and Advanced Materials Institute Ltd. (NAMI) successfully organized a nanotechnology and advanced materials forum on solar energy with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on September 28, 2009 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event was titled "Unleashing the Power of Helios – Emerging Trends in Photovoltaic Technologies." The symposium attracted over 162 participants from academia, industry, and government departments.

The speakers session kicked off right after Professor KM Ng, the CEO of NAMI, delivered a welcoming address to the attendees. Professor Henry Kuo, the Chief Technology Officer for Special Projects at NAMI delivered a presentation on "Development Strategy and Roadmap for the Emerging PV Industry in Hong Kong." The development of thin film solar cells, with inorganic or organic, opens new applications and offers low cost and affordable renewable energy. He reviewed the present development of thin film Si solar cells towards high efficiency, including advanced device structure and anti-reflection coating and highlighted the research status and potential applications of organic solar cells.

Next, Professor Dongsing Wuu from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Chung-Hsing University in Taiwan reviewed the state-of-the-art silicon thin-film technology for various photovoltaic applications. In view of the efficiency of absorption and conversion of broadband solar photons into electricity, he addressed the development of low-defect a-Si thin film at low temperatures on high quality single crystalline Si wafters (e.g. HIT structure).

The third presentation “Organic Solar Cells” was delivered by Professor Furong Zhu from the Physics Department at the Hong Kong Baptist University. After a brief overview of working principle of an organic solar cell, his recent research progress in developing translucent organic photovoltaic cells was presented. The technology addresses the enhancement of translucent organic solar cells over the two competing performance indices: power conversion efficiency and transmittance, for stacking up or transparency. His talk also discussed the opportunities, challenges and advances in organic photovoltaic cell technologies.

Apart from scholars, the symposium also invited industry expertise to share their latest development. For instance, flat glass is the glass manufactured in flat sheets and it comes in many specialized forms for different products and applications. It may be further processed to produce toughened, or laminated, or coated glass to PV applications. Professor Jianjun Yang, the Vice President and Director of R&D Centre at Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd., talked about the properties, features, production techniques, and applications of different types of glass.

Another representative from solar energy industry comes from China Solar Energy Holdings Ltd., Dr. Steve Chen. The Corporate Strategist of China Solar Energy Holdings Ltd., Dr. Chen illustrated the projects that the corporation has conducted in response to the concern of global warming. Demonstrating a number of competitive advantages that could lead to viable grid parity systems, he illustrated the great potential in a-Si thin film PV systems.

Another highlight of the event was the focus group and technology showcase session. Its objective was to encourage exchange of ideas and incubate project opportunities. With four booths set up by NAMI affiliates, which consists of the leading scholars of solar energy in Hong Kong, participants explored the latest product development and R&D achievements while networking with industry professionals in a friendly setting.

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NAMI is a not-for-profit company to undertake and fund industry-oriented research in nanotechnology and advanced materials, focusing on market-driven applications by drawing on the leading researchers from academia to serve needs from a variety of market.