Organic Solar Cells Michelle Acosta Andrew Lee Michael Pascual

What is an Organic Solar Cell?  Relatively new technology  Third generation solar cell  Made of polymer/plastic  Large molecule that are electrically neutral  Held together by chemical bonds  Dye-sensitized solar cell  The electrode is put into a dye bath containing dye molecules  Left in dye for 24 hours

Band Diagram LUMO HOMOLUMO – Lowest unoccupied molecular orbital HOMO – Highest occupied molecular orbital

Advantages  Cheap  Mechanically flexible – thin film substrates 1000 times thinner than silicon cells  Low environmental effect  Easily customizable – arbitrary colors

Disadvantages  Low stability  Degradation in both light and dark conditions  Low energy conversion efficiency  5% as opposed to 15% for silicon based cells  Short life-span  Standard PV ~ 25 years  Organic ~ 5 years

Possible Applications  Cars  Remote Controls  Mobile devices  Cell Phones  Laptops  Tablets  Military  Electricity for tents  Night vision scopes  GPS  Drones

Questions?

References  energy/articles/95572.aspx energy/articles/95572.aspx  solar-cell-technology-increases-its-lifespan solar-cell-technology-increases-its-lifespan  w.youtube.com/watc h?v=3KRHJ SOgzcw