New Super-Powered Organic Solar Cells – We Can Has Solar-Powered Laptops Nao?

October 18th, 2011 by Charis Michelsen

The solar power industry is hard at work (we think, based on neat things they all keep telling us) improving, refining, and redefining solar technology. This week, Molecular Solar Ltd informs us that they’ve got what they describe as a “significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells.” They’ve managed a record voltage output in organic PVs, which more or less means that yes, you can power your electronic devices with solar cells.

Since organic PVs are highly flexible and fairly low-cost, they can easily be integrated into a number of consumer electronics (think smartphone, laptop, perhaps iPod?). The limiting factor – until now – has been the low voltage output.

Molecular Solar, a spin-out from the University of Warwick, reports that it has developed organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells with open-circuit voltages in excess of 4 volts – which they believe is a record for an OPV device.

Yes, but what exactly did they say?

Dr Ross Hatton, Research Director of Molecular Solar, commented:

“This is an important advance. 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, 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. ’’

And When Do We Get The Goods?

There’s no definite schedule yet for commercialization of Molecular Solar’s new OPVs. The company is currently finalizing an investment round to complete up-scaling of the new technology. Personally, I’m hoping to get solar cells powering my laptop.

What portable electronics would you want to see powered by solar energy? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Molecular Solar | Image: University of Arizona

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Tags: Energy, Molecular solar, opv, organic photovoltaic, organic solar cells, super-powered solar cells, University of Warwick

About the Author

Charis Michelsen spent 7 years living in Germany and Japan, studying both languages extensively, doing translation and education with companies like Bosch, Nissan, Fuji Heavy, and others. Charis has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. She also believes that Janeway was the best Star Trek Captain.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Devshree-Dubey/1847687736 Devshree Dubey

It’d definitely serve good for having a solar powered laptop.However,the real play of it’ll come if the battery life of photovoltaic cells be increased so that we could move on an eco-friendly way of saving environment and reducing our dependence on electricity for charging our laptops.
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http://profiles.google.com/vandammes James Van Damme

The sun’s output is limited, so the way to have a solar powered laptop is to cut energy consumption. The display really sucks the juice, so get a transflective. Hard drive? Get flash memory. Processor? low power ones are available but not high performance. Think OLPC style.
- http://twitter.com/vetxcl T. Lester
  
  More than enough energy from the sun. In addition there is energy available from wave motion, wind, and geothermally (volcanos, under geysers)
  There is a limited amount of oil as well, so that arguement is pointless. Also, the sun will be here long after all the oil is used up.
  Laptops have batteries that don’t care how they’re recharged. They don’t belong to political parties. Already solar charges being sold, today, that work just fine.
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Anonymous

How many of your gadgets are you willing to leave out in the sun to recharge?

How many will still be there when you go to get them?
- Anonymous
  
  I’ve got a balcony on a tall apt building with no access except through the apt. I’d be quite happy to charge something out there
  
  Or on the window sill.
- http://twitter.com/vetxcl T. Lester
  
  USB connected solar panel rechargers come with cords, and there are even extensions that can be purchased for them. They also work from the ambient light in any room. No need to leave them out in the sun. That’s just silly negativism.
  All anyone need do is type the words into their search engine to find one.
  - Pfperry
    
    Good luck on running anything solar from room lighting – typically that will be less than a tenth of daylight. I doubt you could even run a netbook under those circumstances.
    The fact that the topic is even being discussed is a sad comment on modern science education.education.
  - Anonymous
    
    No, not negativism. Practicality.
    
    You want to purchase some solar to help out with the world’s problems? Great. Get a panel that you can plug into the grid. That way you can position it where it will get maximum sun and all the power will get used.
    
    Putting solar panels on individual devices makes less sense. Often the panels won’t be placed where they will be exposed to the sun. And you’re going to be cranking your battery up and down, rather than depleting/recharging which gives you longer battery life.
Pfperry

THe voltage output of any cell – solar ore otherwise – is of no relevance. It’s the power output that counts. Got a 2V cell? Put two in series. The only ‘breakthrough’ here – so far as I can tell from the article – is in press release writing.
BTW, I love your title. Fits the article very well.
Eternalbliss Simran

WTF is wrong with the title? That’s not expected from you guys at least. Shame!
- Anonymous
  
  Haha, it’s just a popular, fun type of internet language (maybe you already know that but just don’t like it?).
  - http://twitter.com/vetxcl T. Lester
    
    I liked the gamer vernacular myself.