Scalability and stability of very thin, roll-to-roll processed, large area, indium-tin-oxide free polymer solar cell modules
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of polyethylene terephthalate foil (P3HT:PCBM)-based polysilicon solar cell modules was evaluated on thin flexible barrier polycarbonate foil.
About: This article is published in Organic Electronics.The article was published on 2013-03-01. It has received 139 citations till now.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: The factors limiting the stability of OSCs are summarized, such as metastable morphology, diffusion of electrodes and buffer layers, oxygen and water, irradiation, heating and mechanical stress, and recent progress in strategies to increase the stability are surveyed.
Abstract: Organic solar cells (OSCs) present some advantages, such as simple preparation, light weight, low cost and large-area flexible fabrication, and have attracted much attention in recent years. Although the power conversion efficiencies have exceeded 10%, the inferior device stability still remains a great challenge. In this review, we summarize the factors limiting the stability of OSCs, such as metastable morphology, diffusion of electrodes and buffer layers, oxygen and water, irradiation, heating and mechanical stress, and survey recent progress in strategies to increase the stability of OSCs, such as material design, device engineering of active layers, employing inverted geometry, optimizing buffer layers, using stable electrodes and encapsulation. Some research areas of device stability that may deserve further attention are also discussed to help readers understand the challenges and opportunities in achieving high efficiency and high stability of OSCs towards future industrial manufacture.
743 citations
TL;DR: This work demonstrates that the polymer:fullerene arrangement and resulting intermolecular interactions may be key factors in determining the performance of OPV material systems.
Abstract: The performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) material systems are hypothesized to depend strongly on the intermolecular arrangements at the donor:fullerene interfaces. A review of some of the most efficient polymers utilized in polymer:fullerene PV devices, combined with an analysis of reported polymer donor materials wherein the same conjugated backbone was used with varying alkyl substituents, supports this hypothesis. Specifically, the literature shows that higher-performing donor–acceptor type polymers generally have acceptor moieties that are sterically accessible for interactions with the fullerene derivative, whereas the corresponding donor moieties tend to have branched alkyl substituents that sterically hinder interactions with the fullerene. To further explore the idea that the most beneficial polymer:fullerene arrangement involves the fullerene docking with the acceptor moiety, a family of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene–thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione polymers (PBDTTPD derivatives) was synthesi...
302 citations
TL;DR: Recent reports of composites with inorganic and organic additives in conjugated and insulating polymer matrices are covered, as well as the techniques needed to fully characterize their TE properties.
Abstract: This review covers recently reported polymer composites that show a thermoelectric (TE) effect and thus have potential application as thermoelectric generators and Peltier coolers. The growing need for CO2-minimizing energy sources and thermal management systems makes the development of new TE materials a key challenge for researchers across many fields, particularly in light of the scarcity or toxicity of traditional inorganic TE materials based on Te and Pb. Recent reports of composites with inorganic and organic additives in conjugated and insulating polymer matrices are covered, as well as the techniques needed to fully characterize their TE properties.
242 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a fully inkjet printed organic solar cells were demonstrated, which allows direct patterning of all the layers, including the electrodes, offering full freedom of design without the use of masks or structuring by hardware.
Abstract: The organic photovoltaics field is maturing and reaching a technology readiness level where the focus is on developing large scale fabrication methods. In this light, fully inkjet printed organic solar cells were demonstrated. Inkjet printing allows direct patterning of all the layers, including the electrodes, offering full freedom of design without the use of masks or structuring by hardware. The semitransparent front and back electrodes consist of PEDOT:PSS and conductive Ag fingers, avoiding the use of ITO. The inkjet printing of six functional layer demonstrated minimal losses in performance as compared to the lab-scale standard, spin coated devices. All-inkjet printed large area (>1 cm2) organic solar cells with power conversion efficiency of 4.1% deposited from environmentally friendly solvents in an air atmosphere are demonstrated for the first time. Organic solar cells were fabricated using industrial scale (512 nozzles) printheads, compatible with R2R technology. To prove the great advantage of inkjet printing as a digital technology allowing freedom of forms and designs, large area organic solar cells with different artistic shapes were demonstrated. Reported results confirm that inkjet printing has high potential for the processing of OPV, allowing quick changes in design as well as the materials.
216 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented the installation of organic solar cell modules in different settings (terrestrial, marine and airborne) and calculated key parameters in order to assess their environmental impact.
Abstract: With the development of patterns that connect all cells in series, organic photovoltaics have leapt a step forward being ahead of other solar and even other energy technologies in terms of manufacturing speed and energy density. The important questions of how they are meant to be installed for producing power and what the requirements are yet to be explored. We present here the installation of organic solar cell modules in different settings (terrestrial, marine and airborne). For the evaluation of these installations deployed at DTU, we have used the life cycle assessment tools, and calculated key parameters in order to assess their environmental impact. The novel technology when installed in a solar park system can generate more than 1300 kW h kWp−1 of electricity a year, which means that the whole system can pay the energy invested back before the first year of operation, in 320 days. If this electricity is fed back to the same electricity supply system that was used for manufacturing the potential saving of more than 13 GJ of primary energy per kWp per year can be reached. With the real data logged, a dynamic energy payback time has been furthermore calculated for the case of the solar tube installation, giving a value of 1.1 years.
167 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: In this article, the current understanding of stability/degradation in organic and polymer solar cell devices is presented and the methods for studying and elucidating degradation are discussed Methods for enhancing the stability through the choice of better active materials, encapsulation, application of getter materials and UV-filters are also discussed
2,284 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an inverted polymer solar cell geometry comprising a total of five layers was optimized using laboratory scale cells and the operational stability was studied under model atmospheres, where the inverted devices were compared to model devices with a normal geometry where the order of the layers was substrate-ITO-PEDOT:PSS-(active layer)-aluminium.
Abstract: An inverted polymer solar cell geometry comprising a total of five layers was optimized using laboratory scale cells and the operational stability was studied under model atmospheres. The device geometry was substrate-ITO-ZnO-(active layer)-PEDOT:PSS-silver with P3HT-PCBM as the active layer. The inverted devices were compared to model devices with a normal geometry where the order of the layers was substrate-ITO-PEDOT:PSS-(active layer)-aluminium. In both cases illumination was through the substrate which requires that it is transparent. Both device types were optimized to a power conversion efficiency of 2.7% (1000 W m−2, AM1.5G, 72 ± 2 °C). The devices were operated under illumination while being subjected to different atmospheres to identify the dominant modes of degradation. Dry nitrogen (99.999%), dry oxygen (99.5%), humid nitrogen (90 ± 5% relative humidity) and ambient atmosphere (20% oxygen, 20 ± 5% relative humidity) were employed and both device types were found to be stable in a nitrogen atmosphere during the test period of 200 hours. The devices with a normal geometry where an aluminium electrode is employed gave stable operation in dry oxygen but did not give stable device operation in the presence of humidity. The inverted devices behaved oppositely where the less reactive silver electrode gave stable operation in the presence of humidity but poor stability in the presence of oxygen. The inverted model device was then used to develop a new process giving access to fully roll-to-roll (R2R) processed polymer solar cells entirely by solution processing starting from a polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) substrate with a layer of indium-tin-oxide (ITO). All processing was performed in air without vacuum coating steps and modules comprising eight serially connected cells gave power conversion efficiencies as high as 2.1% for the full module with 120 cm2 active area (AM1.5G, 393 W m−2) and up to 2.3% for modules with 4.8 cm2 active area (AM1.5G, 1000 W m−2).
1,237 citations
TL;DR: The presented devices are thus competitive for consumer electronics but ill-suited for on-grid electricity production in their current form.
Abstract: Upscaling of the manufacture of polymer solar cells is detailed with emphasis on cost analysis and practical approach. The device modules were prepared using both slot-die coating and screen printing the active layers in the form of stripes that were serially connected. The stripe width was varied and the resultant performance analysed. Wider stripes give access to higher geometric fill factors and lower aperture loss while they also present larger sheet resistive losses. An optimum was found through preparation of serially connected stripes having widths of 9, 13 and 18 mm with nominal geometric fill factors (excluding bus bars) of 50, 67 and 75% respectively. In addition modules with lengths of 6, 10, 20, 22.5 and 25 cm were explored. The devices were prepared by full roll-to-roll solution processing in a web width of 305 mm and roll lengths of up to 200 m. The devices were encapsulated with a barrier material in a full roll-to-roll process using standard adhesives giving the devices excellent stability during storage and operation. The total area of processed polymer solar cell was around 60 m2 per run. The solar cells were characterised using a roll-to-roll system comprising a solar simulator and an IV-curve tracer. After characterisation the solar cell modules were cut into sheets using a sheeting machine and contacted using button contacts applied by crimping. Based on this a detailed cost analysis was made showing that it is possible to prepare complete and contacted polymer solar cell modules on this scale at an area cost of 89 € m−2 and an electricity cost of 8.1 € Wp−1. The cost analysis was separated into the manufacturing cost, materials cost and also the capital investment required for setting up a complete production plant on this scale. Even though the cost in € Wp−1 is comparable to the cost for electricity using existing technologies the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is expected to be significantly higher than the existing technologies due to the inferior operational lifetime. The presented devices are thus competitive for consumer electronics but ill-suited for on-grid electricity production in their current form.
1,019 citations
TL;DR: Among the available BHJ systems, poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C.
Abstract: Despite the relatively low efficiencyin comparison with conventional inorganic solar cells, thepotential of roll-to-roll processing and large-area processa-bility on flexible low-cost substrates renders conjugatedpolymer-based organic solar cells (OSCs) very attractive asa cost-effective solution to the problem of energy shortage.Among the available BHJ systems, poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C
844 citations
National Renewable Energy Laboratory1, Technical University of Denmark2, ENEA3, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev4, Solarmer Energy, Inc.5, Dresden University of Technology6, Graz University of Technology7, Linköping University8, University of Pittsburgh9, National Institute of Standards and Technology10, Technische Universität Ilmenau11, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena12, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven13
TL;DR: Procedures for testing organic solar cell devices and modules with respect to stability and operational lifetime are described and generally agreed test conditions and practices are generally agreed to allow ready comparison between laboratories and to help improving the reliability of reported values.
805 citations