The PV Days were held for the sixth time at the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP in Halle (Saale). The main topic was quality control in photovoltaic technology, which can increase the reliability and life of modules and components but can also improve yield potential. The discussions featured a wide range of topics ranging from materials and production processes to use in the field. Prof. Ralph Gottschalg, Director of the Fraunhofer CSP, opened the three-day meeting with a talk on “Data Enabling Terawatt Photovoltaics”. 

Many other program items also examined the ways in which industry can benefit from digitalization and smart data linkage. This included the presentation of efficient approaches to big data analytics and discussion of the corresponding requirements in terms of measurement methods and data analysis. 

The seven sessions into which the meeting was divided were dedicated to the relationship between operational data and yield in the field, material testing and process control, metrology and quality assurance, the requirements that must be met by data for the successful network integration of photovoltaic systems or possible obstacles in the form of due diligence audits. During a podium discussion specialists from industry and science discussed the requirements that must be met by data to open the way for photovoltaic solutions on a terawatt scale. At a marketplace where ideas and industry were brought together, companies described the areas in which they would like to see research and discussed possible solutions and ideas for joint projects with other PV Days participants. The program ended with a session on the potential of half cells in which the results of the five-year project just ended sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research “MechSi – Modeling of the mechanical behavior of thin silicon substrates and solar cells” were presented.