The National Dutch Growth Fund programme SolarNL “Circular integrated high-efficiency solar panels” targets to develop and industrialise three innovative PV technologies selected for their potential to be competitive in their respective markets alongside the incumbent mainstream PV: high-efficiency silicon heterojunction cells, flexible perovskite foils, and custom-integrated PV products for buildings and automotive.

Your job
Each of the corresponding programme lines contains comprehensive innovation activities connecting research, technology and product development, industrialisation and ramp-up to scale. The ‘design-for-circularity’ principle in each of the technologies and products is used in order to have the built-in potential for recycling and minimising the use of critical materials.

One of the three technologies will involve silicon/perovskite tandem structures. While perovskite cells and modules have reached over 25% efficiency for single junction devices and over 33% for tandem devices, these lab efficiencies need to be transferred to large-area commercial processes while at the same time demonstrating their reliability. Perovskite device stability is affected by multiple parameters and is not fully understood yet. This includes light (UV/vis) induced degradation, temperature induced degradation, and degradation due to oxygen/humidity as external stressors. Also, ion migration is denoted as a cause for degradation. An intriguing phenomenon is self-healing, which would repair light-degradation during the night, when perovskite devices are monitored outdoors.

In this project, the indoor and outdoor performance of new module architectures will be investigated, i.e., tandem a-Si:H/perovskite, triple a-Si:H/nc-Si:H/perovskite, and tandem high bandgap perovskite/nc-Si:H. This will be done in close collaboration with other academic and industrial partners in the SolarNL programme. This PhD project should lead to increased insight in the stability of new proposed module architectures by degradation analysis and established specific energy yields in kWh/kWp in outdoor conditions (energy rating).

Your tasks include:

• designing and performing indoor and outdoor tests to investigate tandem stability;
• correlation of indoor and outdoor results to establish transferability of indoor results to outdoor conditions;
• investigation of degradation and self-healing in relation to the actual module architectures.

You will work in a highly interdisciplinary, gender-balanced, and internationally oriented research with chemists, physicists, and engineers from across Europe. You will be part of a large group of starting PhD candidates all active in the SolarNL programme.

We are seeking an outstanding and a highly motivated candidate with a deep interest in the fundamental and applied aspects of solar energy harvesting. We are especially interested in interdisciplinary scholars with strong intercultural skills.

We gladly receive applications from candidates who have:

• a MSc in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Energy Science, or related field;
• experience in PV performance analysis and degradation mechanisms;
• strong affinity with sustainable development;
• ample experience with modelling (Python), statistics and data analytics;
• excellent communication skills and proficiency in English;
• experience with and enjoy working in an interdisciplinary and international environment.

We offer:

• a position for one year, with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment;
• a working week of 36 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

Universiteit Utrecht

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.