OPVs embedded in glass offer operating life benefits
The researchers are embedding the solar modules in a thin layer of glass. “Glass is not only the ideal encapsulating material, it also tolerates process temperatures of up to 400 degrees,” explained Danny Krautz, project manager in the Functional Materials and Components research section at IAP. A specialized glass from Corning Inc. is being employed in the research work. The special physical properties of the glass enables layers to be made that are 100 micrometers thick which corresponds roughly to the thickness of a sheet of paper and has nothing to do with the type used to make drinking glasses. The special glass is not only fracture-resistant and strong, it is so flexible that it can be gently bowed even in its solid form. The researchers in Potsdam in cooperation with their partner Corning have already created the first working OPVs with this material by processing stacks sheet-by-sheet.
The goal is to fabricate these modules in rolls as well. The carrier substrate will be wound on a roll in this case, similar to how newspapers are printed. An empty roll is positioned opposite it. The photoactive layers and electrodes are printed in several steps between the two rolls. Large surfaces can be manufactured effectively in series using this fabrication technology. The team from IAP has already begun a first test of how the flexible glass could be processed in this way.
“We were immediately successful on our first run in producing homogenous layers on smaller substrate dimensions,” said Krautz. The technology needs to be modified at many points for the process to meet the demands of industrial applications – and the Potsdam team is already working on these. Long-lived, robust, high-performance OPVs can be fabricated using the technology for use in a wide range of applications – from tiny solar cells in mobile phones to large-scale photovoltaic modules.
Related articles and links:
www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2014/june/solar-modules-embedded-in-glass.html
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