New Record Achieved with PV Cells
Molecular Solar Ltd, a spinout company from the University of Warwick, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. They have achieved and demonstrated a record voltage for organic photovoltaic cells that means these highly flexible, low cost solar cells can now be devolved for commercial uses in a wide range of consumer electronics.
The company's most-recent advance in the development of its organic photovoltaic (OPV) cell technology is the realization of cells with open-circuit voltages in excess of 4 volts for the first time. Molecular Solar's research team believe this is a record for an OPV device.
"This is an important advance," said Dr Ross Hatton, research director of Molecular Solar. "We are now very close to having highly flexible organic photovoltaic cells that will be capable of delivering electrical energy at a voltage suitable for recharging lithium ion batteries that are widely used in portable consumer electronics. Remarkably, this high voltage is achieved using a cell with only 4 junctions (sub-cells)''.
University of Warwick researcher Professor Tim Jones, who is chief technology officer of Molecular Solar, added: "The first generation of organic photovoltaics will be exceptionally well matched to consumer electronics applications. The advantage of Molecular Solar's high voltage cells is that a single cell can be used with no requirement to connect multiple cells in series for these applications, saving manufacturing cost. ''
Molecular Solar are currently finalising a £5m investment round to complete the up-scaling of their OPV and MS-Flexifilm electrode technology.