Industrial + Specialty Printing

Imagine a future where you can use your computer’s printer to make your own portable power source.

By Ritesh Tipness

Printed solar power is already a reality and is making the move from the laboratory into the marketplace as researchers in industries and universities around the world work to further develop organic photovoltaic solar cells that can deliver power at an extremely low cost. This is the story of a technology that is on the precipice of success.

The worldwide demand for fossil fuels and the subsequent shortage of those fuels is well documented. It has led to the search for alternate sources of energy, especially when those new energy sources can be produced in a clean and cost-effective manner. While many technologies, such as hydroelectric, wind, and biomass, have been adopted as alternatives to fossil fuels, several factors ranging from materials availability to infrastructure must now be considered prior to mass deployment.

Viewed from the perspective that the sun’s energy is a largely untapped power source, it is estimated that approximately 125,000 gigawatts of sunlight falls on our planet every day. Solar power based on photovoltaics (PV), however, can address significant portions of the energy demand, provided it can be cost-competitive. To date, the silicon technology incumbent to most solar-power applications has not proven to be cost-competitive in the absence of heavy government subsidies, and high costs of deployment have prevented countries such as the United States from realizing any significant contribution from solar energy. To be sure, the answer may actually be found in nature—and in organic materials.

Printed solar power
Printed electronics based on organic materials is an emerging area in an industry that up until now was dominated by inorganic semiconductors. Not only do the organic materials offer versatility of design and properties, but they also help simplify the manufacturing process. This has potential implications on lowering the production costs and thus improving the marketability to consumers.

Printed solar power, based on organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, is a solution to the world’s energy demand. Based on conductive polymers that can be printed like standard inks, the technology allows solar panels Figure 1 to be manufactured/printed using low-cost processes.