Company:

Oxford Photovoltaics Limited

Project:

Screen printed solar PV window glass

Year:

2011

Status:

Regional Winner

Oxford University has developed new solar cell technology that is manufactured from cheap, abundant, non-toxic and non-corrosive materials and can be scaled to any volume.

Harnessing the sun’s energy, the solar cells are printed onto glass or other surfaces and are available in a range of colours and could be ideal for new buildings where solar cells are incorporated into glazing panels and walls. As part of the fabric of a building, they create a vast increase in the amount of space devoted to solar power compared to conventional roof-mounted systems.

The device is a form of organic thin film solar technology, a relatively new development in solar energy generation.

Leading thin film technologies are currently hampered by the scarcity of minerals used whereas other dye-sensitized solar cells are being held back by the volatile nature of liquid electrolytes.

Oxford PV’s technology replaces the liquid electrolyte with a solid organic semiconductor, enabling entire solar modules to be screen printed onto glass or other surfaces.

Green is the most efficient "semi-transparent" colour for producing electricity, although blue and grey also work well. The materials used are plentiful, environmentally benign and very low cost.

Oxford PV predicts that manufacturing costs of its product will be around 50% less than the current lowest-cost thin film technology and expects its new technology will eventually match the unsubsidised cost of electricity generated from fossil fuels.

The technology could revolutionise the incorporation of photovoltaic materials into windows and walls and other parts of buildings. CEO Kevin Arthur said: ‘This technology is a breakthrough in this area. We’re working closely with major companies in the sector to demonstrate that we can achieve their expectations on economic and product lifetime criteria.’