PhD Position Perovskite on Foil/silicon 4T Modules with Smart Power Optimizers and Related Energy Yield Modeling

Developing high-efficiency four-terminal (4T) tandem photovoltaic (PV) modules is essential for increasing the efficiency and adaptability of solar energy systems in applications such as urban PV installations and solar-powered vehicles. By addressing current and voltage imbalances and optimizing power output for real-world conditions, this research can significantly advance the custom-integrated PV products market, supporting sustainable energy solutions for buildings and the automotive industry.

You will:

• Use numerical simulations to predict current/voltage imbalances in 4T modules under varying real-world conditions.
• Identify optimal interconnection schemes for top and bottom cells in 4T modules.
• Determine the best PV module layout with power optimizers.
• Explore the most effective power conversion approach for 4T modules: Full Power Processing (FPP), Differential Power Processing (DPP), Partial Power Processing (PPP), or a combination thereof.

This project is part of the SolarLab program in the SolarNL project and performed within the Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD) group at TU Delft, under supervision of dr. Rudi Santbergen and prof. dr. Olindo Isabella.

The successful applicant will have:

• Master's degree in physics, sustainable energy technology or electrical engineering.
• Domain knowledge of solar energy engineering, modelling and data analysis.
• Experience with PCB design and integration.
• Ability to work independently and self-driven, being a team player in a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communications skills in English, both writing and speaking.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. 
In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.