This year's conference delved into the latest advancements, including perovskite solar cells, multi-junction thin-film PVs, and other emerging technologies essential for powering extraterrestrial ventures. The conference highlighted applications that extend beyond traditional satellite power, exploring new frontiers such as deployable flexible PV arrays, inflatable solar cells, extraterrestrial bases, solar power stations, wireless power transmission, green propulsion, and in-space fabrication strategies.
Across four dynamic days, PVSPACE-24 hosted seven specialized panels that covered a wide array of topics:
Panel 1: Photovoltaics and Space Environment
Panel 2: Multijunction PVs in Space
Panel 3: Stability and Phenomenology of PVs in Space
Panel 4: Advanced Space Devices
Panel 5: Lightweight PVs
Panel 6: Perovskite PVs in Space
Panel 7: Up-scaling and Challenges
These panels featured engaging talks and presentations from leading experts, including Prof. Michael Graetzel, Prof. Sayantani Ghosh, Prof. Ahmad R. Kirmani, Prof. Bibhudutta Rout, Prof. Seth Hubbard, Prof. Pavel Troshin, Prof. Heinrich Christoph Neitzert, Prof. Ian Sellers, Prof. Federica Cappelluti, Dr. Felix Lang, Dr. Erkan Aydin, Dr. Mei Gao, Dr. Shi Tang, Dr. Ibrahim Dar, Dr. Andrea Ciavatti, Dr. Sarallah Hamtaei, Dr. Mykhailo Solovan, Prof. Joseph M. Luther, Dr. Mahmoud Zendehdel, Dr. Narges Yaghoobi Nia, Prof. Wing Chung Tsoi, Prof.Sergii Yakunin, Dr. Stepan Demchyshyn and Dr. Demet Children-Guler, in addition to contribution talks presented by Ms. Victoria Ozerova, Dr. Sergei Pushko, Mr. Antonio Fronteddu, Dr. Alper Seçgin, Prof. Serap GÜNEŞ, who shared their insights and research on overcoming the unique challenges that space environments pose to photovoltaic technology.
Industry Engagement and Focus Issues
In addition to the scientific talks, the conference also hosted industry-focused discussions led by Dr. Declan Hughes, Dr. Laurent Calame, Dr. Lucio Cinà, Dr. Dr. Nasser HEFIANA, emphasizing real-world applications and bridging the gap between research and commercialization.
and Dr. Ros Daw as Chief editor of Communication Engineering Journal, Nature portfolio explained the scope of the journal and collection of Photovoltaics for Space Applications
Notably, the PVSPACE-24 conference aligns with ongoing editorial initiatives, including Nature Communications Engineering’s dedicated collection on “Photovoltaics for Space Applications” and two focus issues from JPhys Energy and JPhys Photonics on perovskites for space applications. Dr. Narges Yaghoobi Nia, the scientific organizer of PVSPACE, also serves as an editor of the collection on “Photovoltaics for Space Applications”, and editorial board member of the Communication Engineering Journal, Nature portfolio, guiding research that advances the PV in space field.
Recognition and Awards:
PVSPACE-24 awarded two prizes, sponsored by leading journals in the field:
– Best Talk: Dr. Stepan Demchyshyn from Johannes Kepler University received a €150 prize and a special editorial invitation to submit an article to Solar RRL.
– Best Poster: Ms. Elena Shchurik from RAS received a €100 prize from *Solar MDPI* for her outstanding poster presentation.
Organized by Iritaly Trading Company (Rome, Italy) and with scientific organizer by Dr. Narges Yaghoobi Nia, scientific co-organizer by Prof. Joseph M. Luther from NREL, and Dr. Mahmoud Zendehdel, PVSPACE-24 successfully set a forward-looking vision for photovoltaic solutions in space. This impactful event has set a strong foundation for the future of sustainable, high-performance energy technologies that will power space exploration for years to come.
For more details and information about upcoming events, please visit the PVSPACE website: (https://www.pvspace.org/).
