Flexible Low-Cost Plastic Photovoltaic Solar Cell Technology

To address the OSD need for innovative improvements in photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing technology, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Flexible Low-Cost Plastic Photovoltaic Solar (FLOPPS) cell and a low-cost production process to manufacture it. The FLOPPS cell consists of a composite layer over a conductive flexible substrate, coated with a transparent electrode and encapsulated in a transparent protective layer. Innovations in this manufacturing technology include 1) solar spectrum matching through doping with fullerene, improving solar conversion efficiency, and 2) use of low-temperature low-cost processes for coating polymer layers over flexible fiber-like substrates to produce surface/shape conformable PV cells. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the FLOPPS cell and fabrication technology by fabricating and testing prototype flexible photovoltaic foils and fibers that could be woven into soldiers' uniform or tent fabric as a limited-scale demonstration of the cell concept and manufacturing process. Phase II will further refine the solar cell design and develop a draft design of full-scale (productivity of 1000 sq. m/hr.) manufacturing equipment that will reduce solar cell production cost to below $0.10/kWh.