Revolution in solar energy: Chemnitz University of Technology is researching organic cells!

Revolution in solar energy: Chemnitz University of Technology is researching organic cells!

Research into organic solar cells has gained momentum in recent years, particularly at Chemnitz University of Technology, where a team led by Prof. Dr. Carsten Deibel is working intensively on increasing the efficiency of these technologies. The focus here is on understanding slow charge carriers, which are responsible for significant transport resistance. This phenomenon affects both the fill factor and the overall performance of the solar cells. The results of this research are published in renowned journals such as “Reports on Progress in Physics” and “Advanced Energy Materials” to provide the scientific community with new insights.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is an essential part of this progress. As part of the DFG research group “Printed & stable organic photovoltaics with non-fullerene acceptors – POPULAR”, experts from several German and British universities have worked on projects that are funded with around five million euros. The goal of this group is to improve and optimize organic solar cells for mass production.

The role of organic solar cells

Organic solar cells, which consist of uniform organic chemicals, particularly hydrocarbon compounds such as plastics, offer several advantages over conventional technologies. As of August 2018, their efficiency was 17.3%, which is lower than that of inorganic solar cells, but stands out due to its cost-effective and versatile manufacturing processes. The first organic solar cells were developed by Ching W. Tang in 1985 and still rely on conjugated polymers and fullerenes in their layers.

One of the major challenges is the slow movement of the load carriers. These problems can be circumvented by using a donor-acceptor system that enables rapid charge transfer. The active layer of these cells is deposited on a transparent, conductive electrode that maximizes light absorption, while a metal electrode collects the collected charge carriers on the other side of the layer.

Innovations and challenges

In addition to research at Chemnitz University of Technology, institutions like this are pursuing Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems innovative approaches to producing organic solar cells. They are working on cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials that are affordable for commercial use. The development of flexible, lightweight transparent cells could open up groundbreaking fields of application, for example as integrated solutions in window systems or agricultural protection films that both offer protection and contribute to energy generation.

Although organic photovoltaics has made progress in recent years, long-term stability remains one of the main obstacles to its commercial breakthrough. Companies like Heliatek were founded to bring these technologies into mass production, but developments are still needed to optimize the lifespan and efficiency of these cells in sunlight. Creating a stable market environment for organic solar cells requires not only technological improvements but also economic strategies to reduce costs.

Current developments show that liveliness and innovative spirit in the field of organic solar energy are becoming increasingly important. Research projects and companies are striving to overcome the challenges and thus realize the advantages of this technology for broader application.