Founding members of the technology initiative of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – are to cooperate in the innovative field of organic photovoltaics (OPV). At an event held in the Neue Börse, the Frankfurt stock exchange’s head office, the German government and its partners from industry pledged to invest in research to promote the new technology, which is aimed at making the manufacture of solar cells much more cost-effective and at the same time increasing the number of areas of application.
Organic photovoltaics is the term used to describe solar cells based on organic semi-conductive materials that can generate electricity from light. This means that in the future they could replace the silicon that is used today. The aim is to use new materials, production processes and installation technologies to make the organic solar cells more efficient and cost effective in the long term. The new technology will thus pave the way for sustainable energy production and make solar power more competitive. Organic solar cells are flexible and as thin as a clear plastic folder. They are both light and color tunable, which enables them, for example, to be used in foldable cell phone chargers, for example, or on car roofs. From 2015 onwards, their main area of application is expected to be in the construction industry, where the cells will be used in the form of a thin layer of plastic on roofs, windows or facades.
The researchers want to develop organic solar cells that convert at least ten percent of the incident light into energy and offer a service life of more than ten years. As part of the newly launched initiative, the Bosch Group will be looking at issues relating to industrial production. “We want to use organic photovoltaics to make solar energy available at an affordable price”, explained Siegfried Dais, deputy chairman of the Bosch board of management, with responsibility for research and advance engineering. This can only be done through efficient mass production and Bosch will be developing the appropriate processes. “At the same time we want to use this opportunity to get closer to our vision of an energy self-sufficient home”. Bosch has made considerable progress here: the company has already successfully launched a number of different technologies for producing renewable energies, including solar collectors for generating hot water, large gear units for wind farms, heat pumps as well as vegetable oil and wood pellet based burners.
Last year, photovoltaic modules had a global market volume of 8 billion euros. The segment is expected to grow by more than 20 percent annually between now and 2020. The BMBF will provide 60 million euros for research to develop this highly attractive market, while the initiative’s current industry partners – which include, alongside BASF and Bosch, Merck (Darmstadt) and Schott (Mainz) – plan to spend up to 300 million euros. “The initiative to promote organic photovoltaics is an example of how we combine our strengths to invest in new technologies. Our high-tech strategy is aimed at strengthening Germany’s role as a business location”, said Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Research, at the launch of the new initiative.
