Award Number: DE-EE0007141CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6, B5.16Solar Energy Technologies OfficeLocation(s): COOffice(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 6, 2017
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Generalizable Mechanistic Understanding of Module-level Light-, Heat- and Humidity- Induced Instabilities in CIGS Photovoltaics
Award Number: DE-EE0007141
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6, B5.16
Solar Energy Technologies Office
Location(s): CO
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to the Colorado School of Mines to identify the root causes of light-, heat-, and humidity-induced instabilities in the operation and accelerated testing of commercial Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) photovoltaic modules produced by major module manufacturers, correlate them with module degradation/failure modes, and produce accurate service lifetime prediction models.
This is a follow-on NEPA determination to include Colorado School of Mines location. The project received a previous NEPA determination (GFO-0007141-001, A9, B3.6, B5.16, September 1, 2016). Proposed project activities have not changed since the original NEPA determination and would include fabrication and characterization of materials and devices, modeling of instabilities and degradation processes, field testing of solar modules and reporting of findings. Materials analysis and synthesis would still take place at dedicated lab facilities on campus at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, OH and at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, VA. However, University of Illinois would no longer participate in these activities and work would instead be completed at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. The facilities in which synthesis and analysis work would occur are purpose-built for the type of activities being proposed; therefore, no adverse impacts to sensitive resources are expected as a result of the proposed project. No change in the use, mission or operation of existing facilities would arise out of this effort. The facilities have all applicable permits in place, and would not need additional permits for the proposed activities.