Printing Solar Cells by the Metre

Eco Investor March 2009

A ttrial has commenced in Victoria for a technology that can print solar cells, much like bank notes are printed. The world leading research aims to develop flexible, large area, cost-effective, reel-to-reel printable plastic solar cells.

The technology was developed by CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship as part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), and the printing trials are by Securency International, a banknote printing company.

“The production of these film-like solar cells will be literally as easy as printing money,” said Victorian minister for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor. “These solar cells are cutting edge technology and offer advantages over traditional solar technology because of the potential to mass produce the cells cheaply and install them over large areas such as rooftops.

“The technology used for these cells is still in its infancy, but this project aims to speed-up the development of this technology and take it from research to rooftops as quickly as possible.”

The Federal minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, said “This research is at the forefront of polymer technology, which has already brought to the world the banknotes used in Australia and 21 other countries. It is an important step in building up the solar industry in Australia.”

Senator Carr said being able to manufacture flexible, organic solar cells quickly and cheaply could also lay the ground work for a world leading Australian industry in printable electronics.

CSIRO executive Dr Steve Morton said the technology for the solar cells was the result of work by CSIRO researchers on advanced polymers. “We have assembled a team of world-class scientists spanning chemistry, physics and materials science to develop the molecular building blocks which will form the basis of this solar energy revolution,” Dr Morton said.

The three year $12 million VICOSC solar cell project is 50 per cent funded by the Victorian Government through an Energy Technology Innovation Strategy Sustainable Energy Research and Development grant.

VICOSC includes researchers from the CSIRO Future Manufacturing Flagship, University of Melbourne, Monash University, with industry partners Securency, BP Solar, Bluestone Steel and Merck.

Mr Batchelor said the project was at the half way point and the progress being made was extremely good with these printing trials occurring six months ahead of schedule.