Australian scientific research agency CSIRO has taken its pilot-scale production of flexibly printed solar film to a new level following the official launch of the new Printed Photovoltaic Facility in south-west Melbourne, Victoria.
After 15 years, scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have advanced the commercial potential of their flexible perovskite cells, printed on long continuous rolls of flexible plastic film, following the opening of their AUD 6.8 million ($4.4 million) Printed photovoltaic (PV) Facility in Clayton, 23 kilometers southwest of Melbourne.
The solar films are thin, lightweight, portable and semi-transparent, making them suitable for a variety of applications including construction, aerospace, defense, mining, emergency management, disaster relief and wearables.
For example, printed PV films can be laminated on it windows or other glazing or incorporated into tents or tarpaulins for recreational or emergency purposes
CSIRO National Facilities and Collections Digital Executive Director Professor Elanor Huntington said the facility will enable a thriving Australian flexible solar manufacturing industry.
“Through CSIRO’s new Printed PV Facility, industry partners will have access to both the expertise of researchers and specialized equipment to improve and apply flexible solar technology in new ways, wherever there is sunlight,” said Huntington.
“The facility will not only provide incredible opportunities for Australian manufacturers, but will also help tackle global energy challenges and advance the transition to net zero.”
Dr. Anthony Chesman, leader of CSIRO’s Renewable Energy Systems Group, said printed flexible solar is not intended to replace silicon roof panels, but rather to complement them.
“This printed solar technology opens up entirely new applications for affordable, versatile and sustainable energy generation,” said Chesman.
“We use specially formulated inks that can be coded to produce uniform films on the surface. The thin-film solar cells consist of four to five separate layers, and each of those layers requires a special ink to serve a special purpose within the solar cell,” Chesman told us. pv magazine.
“So you have the photoabsorbing layer and then you have charge transport layers that are needed to extract the charge, and then the electrodes to conduct the electricity. We work with two broad classes of photoabsorbers because, unlike silicon, they are solution processable.”
“We have organic solar cells that use organic polymers or small molecules that are specifically designed to have optoelectronic properties, so they conduct electricity and the other ones are the perovskite materials, which are a mixture of organic and inorganic materials,” he said.
The new system to be used is highly automated, with multiple printing and laminating steps performed in one continuous operation, reducing production costs and the initial investment required to get started. Developed by CSIRO, it can produce up to 14,000 test solar cells per day to refine design and performance.
The laboratory is also equipped to explore other areas using printable materials for battery and hydrogen technologies, opening doors to a wider range of innovative applications.
CSIRO states one new efficiency record for its flexible solar technology in March 2024.
“There was a lot of interest at the time, but there are a number of factors that determine whether it is commercially viable. Certainly, efficiency is critical at some point, and longevity is another issue and cost,” Chesman said.
“I certainly think we will see commercial production of these materials in the next five to ten years, but it is a matter of scale and cost. Firstly, we would look at niche applications where there is a premium on form factor, where people really need roll-up solar panels that are lightweight, for example disaster relief.”
“As we reduce costs and expand further, I think agrivoltaic energy and greenhouse integration is an area with a lot of potential, and the recreational market for caravans, tents, anywhere people need electricity from the grid,” Chesman said. .
Updated: October 30, 2024.
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