Fraunhofer CSE Opens First Lab in Massachusetts

The new PV module laboratory enables research, development, testing and evaluation of new materials and production processes for photovoltaic solar modules with the aim to increase module energy yield, reduce cost, and extend module durability.

State of the art fabrication equipment and characterization tools have been installed at the site, which will be used by CSE scientists in their mission to make PV technology affordable for widespread use.

"We offer the capability of developing new module designs and optimizing manufacturing processes that incorporate new module materials in order to further lower the cost of PV electricity generation. Some of our testing equipment is unique in its flexibility to enable measurement of energy yield under a wide variety of environmental conditions,” said Roland Schindler, the CSE's executive director.

Fraunhofer CSE is financially supported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, National Grid and private donors on the U.S. side and from the German Federal Governments Ministry for Education and Research through the Fraunhofer Society in Germany as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.