Dear PV-friend, welcome to the n-PV workshop 2019 at Leuven!

Photovoltaic cells and modules experienced considerable reductions in manufacturing costs coupled with technological improvements, bringing PV to low levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) in 2018 and in a lot of countries the cheapest source of energy. This is highlighted by several PV power plant power purchase agreements below 5 $cts/kWh, and by records below 2 $cts/kWh, placing PV as ultra-competitive compared to other energy sources. Since few years, the silicon PV community is further witnessing a strong dynamism in the improvement of conversion efficiency with potential for further lowering LCOE. The PERC concept has taking over in mass manufacturing from the standard Al-BSF cell.  The introduction of new materials, processes and concepts, is triggering the introduction of advanced technologies in production. In that context, high efficiency n-type silicon technologies are developing with impressive dynamics! At R&D level, ultra-high efficiency was achieved by Kaneka, Japan, using back-contacted silicon heterojunction, with up to 26.7 % and 24.37 % demonstrated at cell and module levels respectively. Continuous progress is being made with HJT, n-PERT and IBC technologies, driving towards an increasing mass production of highly efficient n-type devices, as highlighted by the introduction of 2 GW n-PERT production capacity by Jolywood in 2017, and in collaboration with imec 21.9% (front side efficiency) bifacial n-PERT cells are reported.

In such exciting context, we are happy to welcome you at the next n-PV workshop to discover what is next to come in 2019! Exceptionally, this year we invite you to start already on Tuesday afternoon with a visit of our new labs in EnergyVille (Please check this option on your registration form). On Tuesday evening we invite you to the conference dinner in a medieval environment. The Wednesday is traditionally coupled to SiliconPV for in-depth presentations of latest developments in n-type technologies at R&D level. The Thursday will be dedicated to n-PV industry, providing the platform to highlight and discover industrial progress in n-type technologies, from wafer to cell and module technologies, and to discuss and debate the development and market roadmaps for n-PV technologies.

The n-PV workshop is a unique occasion to update yourself on n-type Silicon PV technologies and industrial developments, and to discuss it with scientists and industrials from all over the world in a great atmosphere!

I am looking forward to welcome you in Leuven, Belgium, enjoying 2019 n-PV workshop!

On behalf of the organizing committee

Joachim John