Highlights from the FP7 Project on Photovoltaics CHEETAH: More Power with Less Material

CHEETAH is an FP7 integrated research project on photovoltaics funded by the European Commission and was initiated by EERA PV. This project is structured into two type of activities: Coordinative and Support actions (CSA) and Joint Research activities (JRA). The CSA focuses on the creation of a long term collaborative platform by developing tools for knowledge sharing, e-learning platforms for training and education, mobility between researchers, efficient use of infrastructures and promoting best practices and standards. The JRA focuses on developing new concepts and technologies for wafer-based crystalline silicon PV (modules with thin cells alt; 100 micron), thin-film PV (advanced light management) and organic PV (very low-cost barriers), resulting in reduced cost of environmentally benign/abundant/non-toxic materials and increased module performance. This paper gives a summary of the main achievements of this project for the two categories of activities.