Dr. Malte Ruben Vogt received his doctoral degree in physics from the Leibniz University of Hannover, in 2015. Afterwards he focused on modelling the optical and thermal behavior of PV modules under realistic conditions at the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH). In 2020, he joined the Photovoltaic Materials and Devices Group at the TU Delft to extend his research area to tandem PV modules. In 2022 he became assistant professor coordinating a team of six scientist with research focus on integrating circularity principles into PV. He is also coordinating TU Delft’s Climate Action Program Flagship on Circular Materials for Renewable Energy Technologies. Dr. Vogt serves as an expert in the global cooperation of IEA PVPS Task 12 on PV Sustainability.
What was your original motivation to become a researcher?
In school, when things got really interesting for me and I wanted to understand how things work, I was often told that you learn about this in a different class not for my age. As a researcher, I have the perfect excuse to satisfy my curiosities and get to the bottom of how things work!
What is your (main) research area today?
My research focuses on the intersection of Photovoltaics and Circularity with the motivation of making PV even more sustainable.
What is the main objective of your team in SiLEAN?
The motivation is making PV even more sustainable by introducing Circularity concepts.
What expertise and facilities does your team have to meet those objectives?
In SiLEAN, we use our environmental assessment expertise to do a lifecycle analysis, investigate the silver use scenarios of PV using Material Flow Analysis and develop product level criticality assessment.
Outside of SiLEAN: We use machine learning to create PV Climate Classifications, we investigate degradation of PV modules and we design PV modules for easier repair and recycling pioneering Liquid PV module encapsulation.
Which aspects of your research at SiLEAN do you believe are the most innovative and what unique opportunities offer SiLEAN to yourself and/or your organisation?The silver use scenarios of PV using material flow analysis and the product level criticality assessment.
How do you see the future use of the SiLEAN results and the impact of SiLEAN project in our daily lives?
The Epi-Wafers have the potential to revolutionize the Wafer manufacturing for PV while enabling thinner and thus bendable silicon cells.
