INTEGRERT PROSJEKT: Socially Robust Solar Cells (SoRoSol)

SoRoSol aimed to achieve socially robust development of solar cell technology. The project has been committed to integrated research, which means a tight interdisciplinary collaboration. The involved disciplines were in SoRoSol's case: material science, science and technology studies, applied ethics, and industrial ecology. The material science part of the project developed materials for so-called intermediate band solar cells. In selecting materials, the material scientists considered technical criteria such as: - Accessibility of raw materials - Experience with similar materials - Available research infrastructure - The material should increase the solar cells efficiency The material science component of the project produced a zinc-chalcogenide containing no toxic substances; zinc sulphide (ZnS). The materials were fabricated as thin films and we added chromium to transform ZnS to an intermediate band material. We found that the chromium atoms are rather evenly distributed in the material, as desired. We used advanced techniques to study the structure, composition and optical properties of the materials. We fabricated intermediate band solar cells consisting of three different layers. The solar cells that we created were more effective with chromium than without. We conclude that ZnS with chromium is a promising material for intermediate band solar cells. The solar cells were sent to a laboratory abroad (IBLAB in Madrid) for further testing. The material's structural and electronic properties still need to be further optimized. The integrated part of the project had two main aims: - To identify and study actors who potentially are engaged in solar cell technologies and their interests and arguments related to such technologies to bring in such insights into the development processes of solar cells so that they become relevant at the laboratory level. - To study the effects of the interdisciplinary process of reflection in the project by documenting and reflecting about the interdisciplinary discussions in the project and about possible changes in the shaping of technology and values within the disciplines participating in the project. This has been carried out through ethnographic fieldwork, interdisciplinary exchanges through monthly project meetings to allow for intervention, interviews with Norwegian solar scientists, and dialogue meetings about future use of solar cells with experts on solar cell applications. The project meetings were during the first period mainly an arena for mapping the participants' disciplinary point of departure and frame of understanding. In the second period, more emphasis was put on experiments with different ways of translation between the disciplines and trying out the relevance of social and value aspects for the activities of the material scientist. An important result from this was an extension of the list of criteria for the new materials. We achieve a more socially robust choice of materials when this acknowledges, and is understandable for, future users of the materials. Through a series of dialogue meetings, the SoRoSol participants met with experts on solar cells in architecture, buildings, and policymaking and energy use in Norway. These meetings gave useful input to the work to extend the list of material choice criteria. There was broad agreement that materials to be used in solar cells should be non-toxic. In addition, the importance of a life cycle perspective was emphasised. Through the dialogue meetings, information was provided that existing certifications did not allow use of certain materials in buildings. Another important point was the possibility for diversity in respect to size, colour, and form, as issue that can be in conflict with the need for increased efficiency. The integrated part of the project was demanding, but also in many ways a success. The first part - the fieldwork in the laboratory as integrated research - led to less promising results. Established methods for integrated research proved less suited in such a context. The process of communication proved challenging - partly due to language issues but also because of the difficulties involved in translating between material physics and social science. In this respect, the project meetings worked better, and through the stage with dialogue meetings the potential of interdisciplinary exchanges that was built in the first stage was realised. The integration part of the project also worked well because it provided my useful insights and experiences, and because it has contributed to the development of good and relevant competence related to responsible research and innovation.

This project aims to develop socially robust solar cells by engaging in integrated interdisciplinary research. To achieve this we will combine three research tasks, and involve the research group in a common reflexive process over the processes and result s of these research tasks. We will furthermore engage in a self-reflexive analysis of this interdisciplinary work process, in order to identify to what extent it influences the process of technology development. The first research task will perform mater ials research that leads to robust innovation of intermediate band solar cells by fabrication and characterization promising bulk intermediate band materials, with focus on proving the existence of the intermediate band and demonstrating intermediate band solar cell operation. The second research task will study the health, safety and environmental aspects of the life cycle of solar cells made of these materials, including an assessment of exposure scenarios from manufacturing to recycling/disposal. The third research task will identify stakeholders potentially engaged in these technologies and to study their concerns and arguments in order to engage these concerns and arguments in the development process of solar technology relevant at the laboratory l evel. This part of the project will combine empirical studies and normative approaches, seeking to increase the accountability of implicit and explicit assessments made in the research project. Finally, we will study the effects of the interdisciplinary reflection process by documentation and reflection on the interdisciplinary discussions in the project and on potential changes in technology design and values in the different disciplines within the research group.