26 February 2009
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| Video demonstration of solar cell being used as a power source. |
Monash University researchers have developed a solar cell which is thin, flexible and can be produced on a mass-scale using the same technology used to print polymer banknotes.
The first of the trial polymer solar cells have rolled off the presses at the Melbourne-based plant of Securency International -- the company responsible for printing Australian polymer banknotes and currency for 26 countries around the world.
Monash researchers Dr Udo Bach and Professor Yi-Bing Cheng are part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium -- a team of scientists and industry partners working in collaboration to develop a polymer solar cell that can be printed cheaply and efficiently.
"The film-like solar cells are fabricated on a polymer substrate and are almost as thin as a sheet of paper. The ultimate goal of our work is to develop this alternative solar cell technology to a point where it can compete with conventional photovoltaic technologies already established on the market," Dr Bach said.
The printable cells offer a number of advantages over traditional solar panel technology. They are lightweight and easily transportable, making them attractive to a domestic market and also flexible like a banknote. Being partially transparent, they can be installed almost anywhere, including roofs of homes and cars, windows or glass panels. The cells also float, allowing them to cover pools or dams, reducing evaporation while also generating energy.
Professor Yi-Bing Cheng said the printing trials had begun six months ahead of schedule and he was confident the printable solar cells.
"Competition in this field is very strong. It is becoming increasingly difficult for individual small research groups to compete with larger research initiatives overseas. Within VICOSC we do have the critical mass of manpower, excellence and funding that allows us to compete on an international level," Professor Cheng said.
The three-year $12 million Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium solar cell project is 50 per cent funded by the Victorian Government through an Energy Technology Innovation Strategy Sustainable Energy Research and Development grant.
Dr Yi-Bing Cheng can be contacted on: + 61 3 990 54930 Dr Udo Bach can be contacted by email: udo.bach@sci.monash.edu.au.
For images, a copy of demonstration video or further information please contact Samantha Blair for more information on + 61 3 9903 4841 or +61 439 013 951.
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