08-20-2016, 11:29 PM
An international team of researchers has developed a way of mass producing high efficiency flexible polymer solar cells in rolls. The team, led by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), used a mock-up of a high-volume, roll-to-roll processing method to produce cells with a power conversion efficiency of 9.5%. This is just short of the minimum commercial target of 10%. The mass-produced versions showed molecular packing and texture significantly different from spin-coated cells developed in the lab with around 11% efficiency. While this is a lower efficiency that cells on a solid substrate which approaches 30% (see below), the lower manufacturing cost and ease of use for the flexible polymer cells is attractive.
Mass produced polymer solar cells move closer to reality | Electronics EETimes