Partners

University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB)

UNIMIB is a young University that in 25 years of history already reached over 38,000 students enrolled in 7 areas (economics and statistics, law, medicine and surgery, psychology, sciences, educational sciences, sociology). The School of Economics and Statistics and the School of Science encompass various Departments and coordinate teaching activities and shared services. It is located in Milan, a point of reference for culture and commerce in Italy, in a vibrant and international campus. UNIMIB will contribute through the professors and researchers of the MIBSOLAR Center of the Department of Material Science. The researchers of the MIBSOLAR have more than 25 years of experience in Photovoltaics with a high scientific impact on research on different materials for solar cells. The MIB-SOLAR Center was established in 2010 to promote and encourage the study and research of new materials and devices related to solar energy.
Prof Simona Binetti, Dean of the School of Science and Director of the MIBSOLAR Center will give an overview of raw materials used in PV cells, modules, circuits, and systems, with a focus on the identification and characterization of critical materials in PV technology.

Simona Binetti

Full Professor of Physical Chemistry,
Director of MIBSOLAR center, 
University of Milano Bicocca

University of Turin (UNITO)

MOF group at UNITO has more than 20 years of experience in the design, synthesis and characterization of innovative materials for emerging photovoltaic technologies including, among others, functional molecules as sensitizers in NIR-DSSCs and small molecules and polymers as hole transport materials in PSCs. Since 2013, the group has been at the forefront of the development of aqueous DSSCs and more recently a research line on encapsulants for flexible solar cells has been developed.  In the last years. the group focused the research effort on the development of a sustainable protocol for the synthesis of smart materials.
Dr Matteo Bonomo will provide a lecture on the sustainability of the materials for emerging photovoltaics (mainly DSSC) with a specific focus on indoor, BIPV and unconventional applications.

Dr Matteo Bonomo

University of Salerno (UNISA)

The Electrical Engineering group of the DIEM Department has more than 20 years of experience in the field of modelling, simulation and control of photovoltaic systems, with a high scientific impact of its research activities, significant experience in technology transfer, collaboration with leading industries, as well as coordination and participation in national and EU funded projects.
Prof Giovanni Spagnuolo is the Coordinator of the Italian PhD in Photovoltaics and he will provide a lecture on the role of raw materials in photovoltaic power processing systems and power electronics.

Giovanni Spagnuolo

Hochschule Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (HSA)

Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) focused on combining science, technology, and innovation and was 2018 selected as one of Germany’s Innovative Universities by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It has over 7500 students and 80 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in seven departments at three locations. The University has the right to award doctorates. About 70 PhD students at HSA work on national and international research projects with partner institutions worldwide. AUAS offers a unique 3-semester Master’s in Photovoltaic Engineering Science (website here) that consists of 2 semesters of courses in solar cell physics, the technology of crystalline silicon and thin-film solar cells and modules, cell and materials characterization, components of a PV system and their reliability, system design, monitoring, yield and performance analysis, storage systems and electric grids and solar energy integration. There is ongoing training at PhD level on a national level at the HSA, such as Doctoral scholarships based on the Graduate Funding Act of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, industry partner grants, and cooperative national and international universities. AUAS has a close contacts with numerous small and medium-sized PV related companies where many of its research findings and results can be directly implemented in practice.

Dr Carlos Meza

BITRON

Bitron is a multinational, family-owned company with a clear vision: to create products and systems that help improve the quality of people’s lives and the world around them. Bitron Electronics SpA is part of the Bitron Electronics business unit, which has been owned by the Bitron Group since 2012, the year of its foundation. We are a global player that distinguishes itself in the market by offering EMS, ODM, and OEM services, providing electronic solutions in design, industrialization, and production. Embracing all phases of product realization with a high level of technological integration and process automation, we operate in the automotive, appliance, HVAC, industrial, energy and EV charging industries. Our open innovative approach is demonstrated by our willingness to thoroughly explore the energy and digital transition market. Our team drive innovation for a brighter, more sustainable future.
Dr Luca Ragusa, as Sustainability Manager of Bitron Electronics, works on all sustainability related topics (Environment, Social and Governance) and supervises the Chemical and Material Compliance team. In the electronics sector quite all impacts are due to a complex supply chain. In this context, thanks to our expertise, we perform on our own (and get certification, when needed) product LCA and Company Carbon footprint and we have developed an efficient and advanced Ecodesign tool, used during the design of new products.

Dr Luca Ragusa

ERION

ERION is the largest Italian system of Extended Producer Responsibility for managing waste associated with electronic products and batteries and the valorization of the raw materials contained. Moreover, ERION manages other different waste flows such as packaging, textiles and tobacco products. ERION will contribute by preparing teaching materials and giving lectures in 3 editions of the SUMMED-PV summer school, as well as participating in the communication and dissemination of the project’s results. Erion will especially focus on the proper management of WEEE and thus of the Photovoltaics end-of-life, also organizing a visit to a treatment plant to demonstrate the process of handling the panel as waste and showing what can be recovered and recycled in a circular economy perspective. ERION’s people are all part of the Strategic Development & Innovation team, which deals with the execution and coordination of EU-funded studies and projects as well as strategic developments of new supply chains. In particular, Dr Emiliano Tolusso will focus on forecasting End-of-Life PV panel waste generation and building a circular value chain. Dr Francesca Fattori will give an overview of Italian Legislation regulating the end-of-life of PV panels. Dr Giulia Di Mari will introduce the Innovation projects concerning photovoltaics of which ERION is a partner; the lecture will be enriched by the direct intervention of an external speaker who will present new recycling technologies and recover strategic materials from PV waste.

Dr Emiliano Tolusso

Dr Francesca Fattori

Dr Giulia Di Mari