PhD Position Analysis of Critical Raw Material Demand and Circularity for Solar PV

Do you want to study circularity and material supply of solar modules?

Job description
Estimate the future material flows and stock of PV modules with focus on the Netherlands and Europe. This can form a strong basis for guiding policy on sustainable supply and use of PV materials as well as promoting actions on the circularity of PV materials and future technical development.

Research questions/aims:
Research on the PV driven demand of critical, scarce, and high value materials such as silicon, silver, aluminium, and copper are the focus of this PhD. Other materials, which dominate PV modules volume and weight wise such as solar glass and polymers are also within the research scope, even though they are not considered critical materials. Comparing the results of different scenarios for PV development allows the discussion of the implications of PV development on raw material use and promotes the guidance policy on sustainable resource use for solar PV, while minimizing the environmental burdens. Existing studies only look at limit time scale e.g., until 2030 or limited materials e.g. only silver or indium. Additionally, they are either focused on the inflow of materials in the future or the outflow of materials for End-of-Life management purposes. This PhD will combine these aspects to create a comprehensive PV related material use projection. This will enable inclusion of different circular economy concepts into the projection to identify the key points for the transition from convention all linear PV mode (material mining to PV manufacturing over usage to disposal) to a closed loop circular PV economy.

List three research goals:
1) Project the future PV related material demand with special focus on Europe and the Netherlands
2) Identify upcoming material supply bottle necks and possible strategies to avoid them
3) Investigate the effectiveness of various circular economy principles to reduce long-term PV material demand

Research methods:
The approach is building a dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) model to track inflow, stock, and outflow of materials into PV systems. The model used by this PhD will be consisting of three layers namely the energy scenario layer, the PV module layer, and the material layer. On the energy scenario layer, the future amount of PV modules in terms of capacity (in GW) is projected until 2050. On the module layer, we run the dynamic MFA model to quantify the PV module stock and flows, considering a reasonable and close-to-reality lifespan distribution for PV. The number of modules required for future PV deployment size is estimated based on the power capacity per module and module efficiency, which are affected by PV type and technology. Further, results on the module layer were translated to the material flows and stock for global PV module deployment, based on module material compositions specified in this research (material layer)

The program of the PVMD group builds up expertise in the design and fabrication technology from solar cells to PV systems with their power electronics and storage options. You will contribute to the SolarLab program in the SolarNL project. In this specific project, you will estimate the future material flows and stock of PV modules with focus on the Netherlands and Europe. This can form a strong basis for guiding policy on sustainable supply and use of PV materials as well as promoting actions on the circularity of PV materials and future technical development. This is a project performed under supervision of dr. Malte Vogt.

Job requirements
We are acutely aware that we are a diverse society and not every talented applicant will have had the same opportunities to advance their careers. We therefore pledge to fully account for any particular circumstances that the applicants disclose (e.g. parental leave, caring duties, part-time jobs to support studies, disabilities etc.) to ensure an inclusive and fair recruitment process that does not rely purely on common research metrics.

The successful applicant will have:

• Master's degree in physics, sustainable energy technology, material science, industrial ecology, electrical enginering, or a related discipline.
• The candidate has a passion for solar energy engineering and is an excellent team player.
• Domain knowledge of solar energy engineering, energy transtion, material science, modelling and data analytics is a strong plus.
• Experience with life cycle analysis, circularity and/or techno-economic analysis tools is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and self-driven in a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent English skills. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score of 100 IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking) applies to all candidates wanting to pursue a PhD at TU Delft.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

About the department
The research in the Department of Photovoltaic Materials and Devices is inspired by the technical, scientific, and societal challenges originating from the transition towards a more sustainable society and focuses on four areas:

• DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S)
• Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD)
• Intelligent Electrical Power Grids (IEPG)
• High Voltage Technologies (HVT)

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Additional information
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Professor Malte Vogt, e-mail: m.r.vogt@tudelft.nl.
For information about the selection procedure, please contact Brenda Reyes Munoz, Secretary, email: b.reyesmunoz@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 12 January 2025 at 23:59 CET via the application button and upload the following documents:

• A cover letter that details your motivation and fit to the job requirements.
• Your CV with scientific publications with a list of (academic and/or industry) references that we can contact.
• A list of grades of your qualifying degrees (BSc, MSc).
• If available, the thesis or another sample of your technical writing. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you are interested, do not wait to apply, we are happy to schedule an interview while the response period is running. The candidates will be screened as the applications arrive and the promissing candidates will be shortlisted and contacted before the closing of this post.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

36 - 40 hours per week

Mekelweg 5