Public Funding for G24 Power Limited

This project seeks to evaluate the feasibility of combining chemical sensing technology from SensorHut with high-tech materials and manufacturing processes from G24. SensorHut is a micro-SME based in Cambridge with patent-pending technology for optical chemical sensors that exploits a nano-structured photonic material. G24 is a world leader in the design and manufacture of dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC) with a manufacturing facility based in Newport. One component of the G24 DSSCs is a nano-structured layer of TiO2 nanoparticles. This project will explore the feasibility of using this same layer and tuning G24’s manufacturing methods to suit SensorHut’s requirements. This has the potential to significantly reduce the use of toxic chemicals and cost of SensorHut’s manufacturing processes while maintaining sensor performance.

This collaborative R&D project focusses on meeting the large market opportunity (estimated >$1B global market by 2018) for developing a viable low cost production route for clear, flexible, high and ultra-barrier, polymer based substrates and encapsulant materials, for photovolatic applications (including thin film inorganic, organic and dye-sensitized (DSSC) solar cells); flexible organic solid state lighting applications; and flexible lightweight robust display applications. The processes developed will be compatible with in-line process tools, that are viable and scalable to commercial material widths (1m+) and production line speeds. The structure of the flexible barrier material will overcome market brick walls with current products such as cost, barrier performance and suffcient barrier retention with time.

Over the last 20 years, photo voltaic solar cells (PV) for power generation has grown an industry that focuses on getting better materials to more efficiently use the solar energy that is available. With efficiencies approaching 10%, huge effort has been focused onto improving efficiency by using multi layer materials & thin film technologies such as DSSC to improve performance due to the huge positive impact they have on the carbon economy and on their downstream scalability. A previous programme (CONVERT) developed long life down converting phosphors that could be used in cells and coatings to transfer more of the suns energy into preferred PV frequencies - in this TSB DSSC Grand Challenges programme, we will aim to take these innovative materials and develop an optimised DSSC approach. We aim to combine this with enhanced light handling technology to use more of the suns energy that hits the non converting part of the DSSC which can be up to 30% of the total area. By combining these two techniques, applicable to all cells, we aim to enhance the Grand Challenge PV systems and put a the first part of a supply chain in place ready for production and scale up in the UK.

The principal objective of the proposed project is to develop and produce a water-based Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell (DSSC). DSSCs show great potential, being less expensive to manufacture than other PV technologies and, significantly, they are printable flexible photovoltaic (PV) power sources. They promise substantial breakthroughs in solar energy development and consumer products. Specifically, the project will develop novel water-based DSSCs that will open up new applications, based on the ability to print on flexible plastic substrates and avoid the need for encapsulation. Instead of trying to eliminate water from the system and avoid water ingress, the idea is to create devices that are compatible with water. The development of a water-stable DSSC will overcome limitations in current options, leading to breakthroughs in applications where light weight, flexibility and portability are required (e.g. e-readers, e-fashion, medicine, etc). Water was frequently used as an electrolyte in early dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) but was abandoned in favour of organic solvents that gave much higher cell efficiencies. The presence of water has been reported to degrade organic solvent-based electrolytes due to a possible formation of iodate, dye detachment or by a decrease in electron life-time. Recently however, it has been thought that water-based DSSCs could be relevant to industrial DSSC development as cells properly optimized to work with water can give reasonable efficiencies and display other advantages. These results ustify the return to re-examining and re-using water as a less expensive and more environmentally friendly alternative to organic solvents for DSSCs. G24i, the first manufacturer of DSSCs using advanced roll-to-roll processing technology, will partner with Imperial College, home to one of the largest programmes in inorganic/organic electronic devices research in the UK. The partners complement one another, combining basic research capabilities with commercialisation and exploitation capabilities, manufacturing capacity and market access.