Recent status and prospects of the EU-funded ALPINE project

The ALPINE project is developing innovative fiber lasers for the scribing of new thin film photovoltaic modules with the aims to push forward the European research and development of fiber laser systems and solar energy exploitation. The fiber lasers will be based on photonic crystal fibers, which are characterized by unusual and interesting light guiding properties exploited to deliver high power with excellent beam quality and high resonator stability and efficiency, and will be applied to substitute mechanical scribing steps in the photovoltaic module production. In addition, new photovoltaic thin film technologies is applied, which is based on cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide materials. With a potential conversion efficiency just below that of crystalline silicon, these new material approaches are ready to enter the market with low manufacturing costs for immediate economic or environment impact.