What are 3D Printed Solar Cells?
Solar energy is a huge source of clean, sustainable power, and we know that only a small fraction of the sun's energy would be sufficient to power the world. With global energy demands continuing to rise, a range of low-cost solar technologies will be crucial to meeting the energy needs of both the developed and developing world.
And yet, we haven’t been using solar energy as much as we can, owing to two major challenges with bringing solar power to the mass market - cost and efficiency. Solar cells are usually made out of expensive silicon wafers and silver paste and most solar panels on people's houses are fairly inefficient. Less than 14% of the energy that reaches them will be converted to electricity. A new method of manufacturing, however, could create a dramatic adoption rate.
This is where 3D printing walks in. 3D printing is the process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of a material in succession. Initially it was believed that 3D printing can only be used to make replicas of real objects. But that’s not true. The technique has been increasingly used to produce jewellery, dental work, prototyping and even creating human organs. We can even 3D print houses, if we have printers that are large enough!
Using this technology to make solar cells would make solar energy harvesting very efficient.
A team of scientists worked for years to develop paper-thin, printable solar panels as part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium. The difference between existing solar panels and the technology they are developing is that organic cells offer the potential to allow printing directly onto materials such as roofing and windows, thus opening intriguing building integrated design opportunities.
The new printed solar cell technology only requires the use of existing industrial-sized 3D printers adapted to work with solar ink. These inks are deposited onto flexible plastic films using a range of processes including spray coating, reverse gravure, slot-die coating and screen printing. The cells are lightweight and so thin that they can cover most surfaces.They’ve also managed to reduce the solar panels to the size of a coin. Connecting our solar panels will be as simple as connecting a battery. What’s more? It’s really cheap!
While installation is the dominant cost for solar power, it is estimated that precision 3D printing could drop production costs by 50% by eliminating many of the inefficiencies associated with the waste of costly materials such as glass, polysilicon or even indium.
A major advantage of printed solar cells in comparison with the conventional silicon-based solar panels is that the latter require much sunlight to be efficient and need to be produced in wafers while 3D printed solar cells offer a more organic way to generate power, using perovskites, and only require industrial printers to be manufactured. Hence, they are the perfect solution for power generation in rural areas as well.
3D printed solar cells are both flexible and inexpensive to transport. 3D printing will allow to create solar cells on blinds, in windows, in curtains, and almost anywhere in the home. If you can print your own, even the relative ease of purchasing and delivery described would be unnecessary, considering the fact that 3D printers are entering the broad market and creating production possibilities that were previously unimaginable.
According to Scott Watkins, the director of the unit for overseas business at Korean firm Kyung-In Synthetic, these 3D printed solar cells have already been used in India. “I’ve witnessed first-hand how the technology has enabled urban poor communities in India to access off-grid electricity,” says Watkins. “Its success is due to its cost effectiveness and simplicity. A 10×10 cm solar cell film is enough to generate as much as 10-50 watts per square meter.”
It is predicted that these solar cells may soon promise clean renewable for 1.3 billion people in developing countries.
Moreover, the advanced ability to create flexible solar panels at a lighter weight could also have bigger positive implications for wearable hi-tech clothing, radios and future electronics.
On a side note, just like all new technologies, the 3D printed cells come with some development hurdled. There is a possibility of the cells getting contaminated if they become brittle or weak due to exposure to moisture. Research is being carried out upon different types of protective coating that could help add durability to the cells without sacrificing flexibility and their lightweight.
