According to a new study, researchers from Linköping University in Sweden may have just found the key to unlocking the clean energy potential of organic solar cells, a cheap and efficient form of electricity production. And it could not possibly come at a more opportune time.
As the worldwide demand for electricity increases and carbon emissions continue to contribute to a warming planet, it's more important than ever to get sustainable energy sources scaling up, and quickly.
Solar power is a crucial part of a sustainable future's clean energy matrix, but traditional silicon-based solar cells are still very expensive to produce. And, due to their rigid physical construction, they're still pretty limited in their applications.
That's where organic solar cells come in.
Organic solar cells are carbon-based polymers that can be printed onto thin, flexible plastics. So, they have a much broader range of applications than conventional silicon-based solar cells. And they are far less expensive to manufacture.
Imagine a small, almost unnoticed patch of plastic on your jacket that can power the phone in your pocket, for example. Or, perhaps a spread of organic solar cells across your car's windshield, powering the electronics on your dash. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Plus, in recent years, organic solar cells have become increasingly efficient. At present, they can convert about 20 percent of the sun's rays they receive into electricity. According to the Department of Energy, that's right about what conventional silicon solar cells can manage.
But manufacturing organic solar cells has typically required highly toxic solvents. Not anymore, it seems.
"To realize mass production of organic solar cells, with printed technologies for example, on a large scale, we need to find methods that don't use toxins. Otherwise, it's not good for the environment or for those working in the factories," Feng Gao, professor of optoelectronics at Linköping University, told Tech Xplore.
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Energy independence ⚡ Which is exactly what they've done.
By essentially mapping how the molecules of the polymers that form an organic solar cell interact with the solvents used in their production, the researchers in the study discovered they can now design solar cells that can be fabricated with harmless, non-toxic solvents. That may even include water at some point.
That's a game-changer.
And according to Gao, the game is officially on to make this exciting, sustainable energy generator more widely available.
"Thanks to a toxin-free manufacturing method," he told Tech Xplore, "we now have a much greater chance of commercializing the technology on a larger scale.
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