Looking Ahead: Priorities for the Final Year of the Period 1

Theme 1 includes three PhD students—two at Uppsala University (UU) and one at Karlstad University (KaU)—all now in the advanced stages of their doctoral work. As part of SOLVE’s internationalisation efforts, PhD students Klara Kiselman and Bhavya Rakheja completed research visits abroad supported by Erasmus funding. Klara’s stay at IPVF in Paris is expected to lead to at least one joint publication, while Bhavya is currently conducting research on perovskite and tandem devices at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin before returning to Uppsala in 2026 to complete her thesis.

The theme is strongly represented in the prolongation phase of SOLVE, with several new collaborations planned and recruitment of new PhD students expected to begin in 2026.

At Karlstad University, research will continue to refine the phase-sensitive LBIC (Light Beam Induced Current) method, establishing a robust framework for detailed contact characterization in silicon solar cells. Studies will combine LBIC with optical microscopy, SEM and EDX to correlate electrical performance with microstructure and composition.

Work will also focus on improving sample preparation for electron microscopy, testing TPO-based small modules, and investigating contact formation across different solar cell types—particularly the presence of metal traces beneath contact regions.

The research will conclude this period by developing a laboratory-scale photoluminescence (PL) imaging setup to complement LBIC analysis. In the longer term, this system will be adapted for daylight PL and outdoor diagnostics, paving the way for advanced real-world photovoltaic characterization.

Theme 2 – Building Integration, led by Malin Unger (RISE) and André Augusto (HDa, replacing Chris Bales), focuses on BIPV and its role in building energy systems. Key issues include business value under low electricity prices, system design, sustainability, and alignment between building codes and PV technology, including cybersecurity and fire safety.

Theme 2 has two PhD researchers, both on parental leave for most of 2026, continuing within SOLVE until 2029.

PhD Elin Daun (RISE) is on leave since October 2025. She conducted 35 interviews with major developers (NCC, Skanska, PEAB, JM) and will analyze results after her return. Elin also contributed to IEA PVPS Task 15 and co-authored a publication on BIPV market development.

PhD Marieke Ryneson (DaU) has been on leave since June 2025. She completed her licentiate in April and started data collection for a study on perceptions of PV and obtained ethics approval for interviews on PV in churches. For her continued studies, colored CdTe PV modules from Midsummer will be installed on an HDa façade, alongside a weather station, to study performance and compare measured data with simulations.

Theme 2 collaborates closely with Theme 7 – Sustainability, where postdoc Ilham Ihoume works on LCA of BIPV.

The themes 3&6 will focus on consolidating research outcomes and strengthening dissemination activities. The PhD students will continue advancing both applied and theoretical work related to enhanced PV systems and long-term planning for large-scale PV integration.

Key research directions include:

1. Integrating forecasting models and uncertainty analysis into electricity market simulations,
2. Developing edge-device control algorithms to support peer-to-peer energy exchange and district-level decarbonization strategies,
3. Expanding physics-informed machine learning (PIML) and time-series evaluation frameworks through international collaborations, and
4. Testing reinforcement learning methods for an AI-driven, holistic energy-services platform.

Throughout the year, the two themes will emphasize cross-theme collaboration, validation of data-driven tools, and strong partnerships with industry. Together, these efforts aim to deliver tangible contributions to Sweden’s solar-energy transition and to broader goals of system flexibility, transparency, and sustainability.

PhD student Silvia Ma Lu participated in the EU PVSEC conference held in Bilbao, Spain, in September 2025, where she delivered an oral presentation. Her talk highlighted her latest findings on broccoli cultivation under semi-transparent, coloured CdTe agrivoltaic systems. Silvia is now entering the final phase of her PhD, which explores agrivoltaic systems and novel wavelength-selective photovoltaic technologies aimed at improving spectral sharing of sunlight. She is expected to defend her thesis in March 2026.

PhD student Sebastian Zainali took part in the Agrivoltaics World Conference in Freiburg, Germany, in July 2025, presenting a poster on PAR reduction across different agrivoltaic configurations and modelling assumptions. In the summer, he visited Prof. Stefano Amaducci’s research group at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy, gaining valuable insight into their agrivoltaic infrastructure and strengthening collaborative efforts, including future integration of radiometers and validation measurements. Sebastian is approaching the final stage of his PhD, focused on modelling and optimising agrivoltaic systems from a water–energy–food nexus perspective, with a planned thesis defence in January 2026.

Postdoc Arash Khosravi’s work has focused on planning and assessing crop experiments within the agrivoltaic systems under investigation by the Mälardalen University agrivoltaic group.

Pietro Elia Campana published a review article in Nature Reviews Clean Technology titled Scientific Frontiers of Agrivoltaic Cropping Systems, offering a comprehensive overview of current advances and key challenges in system design, performance, deployment, and research.

In the next project period, we will refine business models for agrivoltaic systems, which involve more complex financing structures than conventional PV due to the integration of both agriculture and electricity production. Successful implementation requires coordinated roles across four key functions: (1) land ownership, (2) agricultural management, (3) investment in or ownership of the agrivoltaic infrastructure, and (4) PV system operation.

In Sweden, agrivoltaic adoption remains limited, largely because of uncertainties around economic viability and suitable business models. This research will examine how different stakeholder configurations across varying land sizes can support the deployment of vertical agrivoltaic systems. Additionally, another study will assess the economic feasibility of agrivoltaic installations under both dynamic electricity prices (Wholesale Price Scenario) and fixed prices (Power Purchase Agreement Scenario).

We will also evaluate scalability and viability across different land sizes, considering economies of scale from smallholder to large-scale implementation. For small-scale systems, self-consumption will be explored as a strategy to offset initial investment costs and improve economic feasibility. Moreover, the economics of PV systems on single-family houses will be further investigated, for example through the use of smart battery control.

The main activity for Theme 7, in 2026, proceeds to be centered around Ilham Ihoume's postdoc position at Dalarna University. Ilham will continue her work on Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) for PV on buildings and is supervising two MSc students, on end-of-life management and LCA of PV. A review paper on geographical differences in LCA methodologies is under revision, another paper on LCA of BIPV is planned and Ilham is also writing a book chapter on "Life cycle Assessment of PV systems in the built environment".

Possibilities for more student works during 2026 or in phase 2 will be explored, including social sustainability topics.

In a separate, associated project, SOLVE Theme 7 will continue to contribute to IEA PVPS Task 12 on PV Sustainability, for example to the upcoming revision of the "Methodology Guidelines on Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic".