Consortium research into plastic printed solar cells
19 Oct 07
The Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), led by Federation Fellow Professor Andrew Holmes located at the Bio21 Institute, aims to produce prototype organic solar cells printed on plastic within three years. The collaboration brings together academic leaders from three leading institutions - The University of Melbourne, Monash University and CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies - in complementary fields of synthesis, characterisation and device assembly with Victorian-based industries, leaders in the manufacture of solar cells, lifetime testing, materials, substrates and printing on plastic.
The $12 million project is underpinned by generous funding of $6 million from the Victorian Government via a Sustainable Energy Research and Development Grant Program - part of the Energy Technology Innovation Strategy, Department of Primary Industries.
The research is motivated by the shift from traditional, high cost solar cells based on silicon to dye sensitised, mesoporous nanocrystalline titania cells or polymer-polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells. This program will allow the generation of breakthrough technologies in third generation, low cost, flexible solar cells via traditional printing methods.
For more information: Visit the VICOSC website and the research pages of Andrew Holmes.