Industrialisation of polymer solar cells

A three-phase project with the objective to industrialize DTU’s basic polymer solar cell technology was started in the summer of 2009. DTU’s technology comprises a specific design of the polymer solar cell and a corresponding roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The basic technology is named Pro-cessOne.

The present report relates to the project’s phase 1.The key tasks in phase 1 are to stream-line DTU’s technology for the industrial utilization, to demonstrate production according to this stream-lined technology at Mekoprint A/S and finally to fertilize the market for polymer solar cells by demonstrating their use in applications that harmonize with their present maturity level.

The main focus in the stream-lining of DTU’s technology has been to demonstrate a convincing reduction rate for the production cost, and thereby make a competitive price plausible. This has been materialized as a learning curve showing that the polymer technology presently develops consider-ably faster than conventional PV technologies. The polymer solar cells will, under the assumption that both technologies follow a projection of the learning curve, gain a cost-leading position within a reasonable time. A production cost of 5 €/Wp has in this project been demonstrated in DTU’s pilot plant, and a road map for the further decrease to 1 €/Wp is drawn. This target is expected to be reached in 2013.

Another activity essential for the industrialization has been the launch of specialized materials, equipment and services required for the processing of DTU’s polymer solar cells. Relevant products and services are made available for sale on DTU’s homepage, www.energyconversion.dtu.dk.

A production line for polymer solar cells has been established at Mekoprint. For this a retrofit solu-tion was chosen where the core of an existing screen-printing line was dismantled and fitted to a slot-die printing head manufactured in DTU’s workshop. The line was at the same time adjusted and updated to handle the new production. The very first solar cells produced on this line appeared in Ju-ly 2010. The line has subsequently been upgraded on a running basis, and Mekoprint’s operators have been trained. The technology transfer is continued in the project’s phase 2, where the goal is that Mekoprint fully masters both the production process and the production line.

During the course of the project several applications for polymer solar cells have been investigated from a technical -, a design – and a market point of view. Faktor 3 has sketched and visualized a range of ideas. The ideas are communicated to a broader audience by means of a brochure. An on-line version of the brochure and a computer tool developed for guiding the designer through the process of dimensioning the electronic system comprising a polymer solar cell, a battery and the electronic function to be powered are available on Faktor 3’s homepage, www.faktor-3.dk.

Small LED torches have served as a case for gaining hands-on experiences with development and production of solar powered products. A range of conceptual lamps have been evaluated, and two lamps have been produced in large series and demonstrated in public. Some hundred lamps targeted at school children in non-electrified areas in 3rd world countries were produced and distributed to tar-get users in Asia, Africa and South America in collaboration with the Strømme Foundation (N). The feedback received was highly positive and proves the necessity for low-cost, off-grid lightening to re-place the presently used kerosene lamps.

A small credit-card sized lamp was produced in a series of 10.000 units in order to test the produc-tion setup’s ability to handle large series. Several thousands of the lamps were handed out at an in-ternational conference for printed electronics, (LOPE-C, 2011). The response from this audience, who is well qualified to judge the news value of lamp’s, has also been highly positive.
Based upon the positive demonstration events, two products are launched for sale on Mekoprint’s homepage; a laser-pointer and a LED flashlight, see www.mekoprint.com. Both Mekoprint and Fak-tor 3 have more products in their pipelines.