Jun 28 2010
Solarmer Energy Inc. and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy have inked a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to partner on enhancing the operating life of solar cells that are plastic, which is promising novel solar conversion technology.
This joint research will conduct studies on the stability and lifetime of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, which comprise the layers that harvest energy in plastic solar cells. This project will focus on topics such as actual lifetime results of devices and materials, assessment of degradation mechanisms and materials comparison.
As per the agreement, the researchers of NREL will assess the lifetime of the active layer systems of Solarmer Energy. Tests will be conducted on the combinatorial degradation system of NREL, which draws comparison between the performances of around 360 OPV devices that run parallel under certain simulated solar conditions for accelerating test results. Additionally, optimizing OPV cells’ durability will only help in enhancing the commercial future of the technology.
The senior scientist of NREL, Dana C. Olson mentioned that through this collaboration, the laboratory is hoping to enhance the performance of plastic solar cell and extend the lifetime of cells by means of developing stable packaging systems and device architectures.