Monday 23 February 2009

Manufacturing solar cells as easy as printing money

PLASTIC solar cells could be fabricated as easily as printing money, according to the CSIRO.
The organisation’s Future Manufacturing Flagship is part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), which is developing flexible, large area, cost-effective, reel-to-reel printable plastic solar cells.
The consortium includes scientists specialising in chemistry, physics and materials science. It will develop the molecular building blocks as a foundation to what the government is calling the ‘solar energy revolution’. It will use polymer technology which is already used in Australian bank notes.
Banknote printing company Securency International has started printing trials, which could see solar cells mass produced cheaply, allows large-area coverage such as on rooftops.
The three year $A12 million VICOSC solar cell project is 50% funded by the Victorian Government through an Energy Technology Innovation Strategy Sustainable Energy Research and Development grant.

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