Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWSKlemens Ilse from the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) was honored with the “Overall EU PVSEC Student Award” at the EU PVSEC in Marseille. He received the award for his work on the soiling of solar modules at the final event of Europe’s most important conference on photovoltaic technologies.
Ilse, who apart from his activities at the Fraunhofer Institute is currently working on his doctoral thesis at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, has specially developed a test stand enabling soiling phenomena, i.e. the soiling of solar panels with sand or dust which can lead to considerable losses in efficiency, to be investigated in the laboratory. His paper “Physics of soiling and dust adhesion – lessons learned from laboratory soiling tests” was recognized as the best contribution overall by a student at the conference.
Around 2000 experts in photovoltaic technology from 70 countries participated in the five-day symposium. They shared findings, among other things on the potential role played by photovoltaics in e-mobility and emission-free energy systems. The Fraunhofer CSP contributed to the program with 19 talks and presentations.
“The exchange between international experts has once again shown how large the contribution by photovoltaic technologies to the energy systems of the future will be and the significance of the progress attained in research and development. I am happy that our expertise – ranging from lightweight modules, new findings on degradation effects to simulation methods for digital prototyping – was so keenly sought after, crowned by an additional accolade at this internationally renowned conference in the form of the award received by Klemens Ilse”, said Prof. Ralph Gottschalg, the Head of the Fraunhofer CSP, who also chaired two sessions of the EU PVSEC conference program and in the capacity of topic organizer of the subject field “Photovoltaic Modules”.