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Mekoprint shines a new light on solar cell research and high-volume manufacturing

The Danish serigraphical manufacturing-company, Mekoprint, is working together with the University of Bayreuth, Germany and RISØ-DTU, Denmark to position Europe in the top-end for development og high-volume production of the next-generation polymer solar-cells. The socalled ”Largecell-project” is funded by the EU and the project is a major leap forward for Mekoprint

The EU-funded Largecell-project will without doubt be a huge leap ahead for a European manufacturing of polymer (plastic-film) photovoltaic devices – also known as solar cells.

The price for manufacturing polymer solar cells will only be a fraction compared to the costs of traditional silicon solar cells. The Largecell-project (Large-area Organic and Hybrid Solar-Cells) will over the next three years validate and evolve the lifespan and efficiency of the polymer solar cells, as these two factors have been the main obstacles for a breakthrough of the polymer solar cells.

Mekoprint has for a number of years been cooperating with scientists and researchers from among others the Danish Technical University’s Risø-department in developing the polymer solar cells particularly regarding a cost optimized high-volume manufacturing of these devices. In theory the polymer solar cells can be produced in a printing-process, where Mekoprint is able to make use of their existing manufacturing-equipment.

This will enable Mekoprint to embed the solar cells in many other types of components in customer-specific projects. Hence, it would be possible to make an embedded solar cell power-supply a part of the controls in i.e. industrial electronic solutions. Mekoprint will also be able to supply the electronics market with stand-alone solar cell power-supplies, opening a market for cheap add-on supplies to cost-optimized and completely CO2-neutral products.

The Largecell-project is run from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, by professor Mukundan Thelakkat, who’s a specialist in socalled functional polymer-applications. The EU-funding of € 1,64 millions aims at increasing the efficiency and lifespan of polymer solar cells. Part of the project is to evolve the technology making it possible to manufacture the devices at a fraction of the cost of the traditional silicon solar cells. The professor from the University of Bayreuth regards Danish Mekoprint as a valuable partner in the project:

”Mekoprint has a long-standing cooperation with universities in optimizing the polymer solar cells with a high-volume manufacturing in mind. The Danish manufacturing-company combines the much needed very precise mechanical and chemical control with a very rapid printing-technology. These are key parameters for making photovoltaic devices so cheap and efficient that a sustainable and commercial breakthrough for polymer solar cells can be achieved. Working closely together with Mekoprint we will investigate how the long-term stability and efficiency for the polymer solar cells can be improved”, says Mukundan Thelakkat.