A relatively young technology is currently inspiring experts. We are talking about organic photovoltaics, ie solar power from plastic films . The new generation of solar cells consists of extremely thin colored and plastic films that are applied to various surfaces using a simple printing and coating process.
Experts assume that organic solar cells could represent a significant part of energy generation in just a few years. The wafer-thin and easily bendable plastic modules would not only be able to be produced inexpensively on a large scale but also open up completely new possibilities for use in the consumer sector. In the future, for example, entire buildings could be coated with the thin organic solar cells in order to produce environmentally friendly and cheap electricity.
What are organic solar cells
Organic solar cells are solar cells that consist of materials from organic chemistry and therefore have electrical semiconducting properties and can generate electricity from light. The manufacturing process is simple and possible with low energy consumption.
The photoelectric effect of organic semiconductors has been known since the 1960s. But so far only a few laboratories and universities have researched this technology. It was not until 2000 that Alan Heeger received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the final breakthrough for this exciting and future-oriented technology. The physics professor from California received the award for their discovery and development of conductive polymers together with Alan MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa.
Plastic solar cells
Die Zukunft gehört der organische Photovoltaik. Weltweit beschäftigen sich Wissenschaftler mit den Solarzellen aus Plastik und der Verbesserung ihrer Effizienz und Stabilität. Um diese technische Entwicklung voran zu treiben und um sich auch im Consumer-Bereich damit durchzusetzen ist der Einsatz von neuen Materialien und Produktionsverfahren so wie die Weiterentwicklung der Installationstechnologie nötig.
Mit verringerten Herstellungskosten und einem niedrigeren Materialaufwand ist die Verbesserung der Produktionstechnologien bei den Plastiksolarzellen möglich.
Interest in pioneering organic technology is already expanding and the research area for it is taking up ever greater space. Due to the increased demand and offers for cooperations from industry, nothing stands in the way of the promising organic solar energy generation. In the next few years, a large part of research will focus on colored organic solar cells and securing the energy supply for small mobile devices.
A new age of energy supply begins. Organic photovoltaics offers innumerable possibilities to revolutionize the power supply. A sustainable energy supply on an environmentally friendly basis through organic solar cells makes this technology one of the most promising in recent years.