Economic assessment of solar electricity production from organic-based photovoltaic modules in a domestic environment

Abstract

The primary driver for development of organic photovoltaic (OPV) technologies is the prospect of very low cost module manufacture leading to affordable solar electricity. This paper presents an economic assessment of OPV based on an existing pre-industrial manufacturing process and the associated detailed material inventory. Using life cycle costing techniques, the life cycle investment cost for a 1kW p , grid-connected OPV system is calculated, taking into account the materials, direct process energy, labour, balance of system components, design and maintenance costs. Assuming values for the performance ratio of the PV system, insolation level, inflation and interest rates, the levelised electricity cost (LEC) is calculated. Under an average solar irradiance of 1700 kWh/m 2 /year, typical of southern Europe, a LEC of between 0.19 V/kWh and 0.50 V/kWh was calculated for a 1kW p system, based on modules containing 7% efficient cells and assuming a 5 year module lifetime. The OPV module is found to make up the majority of the system cost while the material costs constitute the largest contribution to the cost of the OPV module. The influence of OPV module lifetime is studied using sensitivity. This paper demonstrates that competitive solar electricity from OPV is within reach if efficiencies of ca. 7% already demonstrated in lab scale devices can be achieved in large area modules and if lifetimes of at least 5 years can be achieved.

Morphology Development in Amorphous Polymer:Fullerene Photovoltaic Blend Films During Solution Casting

“…[ 3 ] Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are one category of solution processable photovoltaics that have seen a rapid rise in power conversion effi ciency (PCE) [ 4,5 ] and operating lifetime [ 6 ] in recent years, bringing the technology closer to the specifi cations deemed necessary for commercial viability. [ 7,8 ] The photoactive semiconducting layer within these devices is typically composed of a blend of a conjugated polymer and a functionalised fullerene, forming a self-assembled bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) architecture. In addition to the electronic properties of the constituent semiconductors, the structure of the BHJ has been demonstrated to signifi cantly infl uence the efficiency of photocurrent generation.…”

Structure‐Property Optimizations in Donor Polymers via Electronics, Substituents, and Side Chains Toward High Efficiency Solar Cells

“…These reviews have covered various aspects of this interdisciplinary research fi eld, such as design of polymers, [26][27][28] device physics, [ 29,30 ] physical chemistry, [ 31,32 ] morphology control, [33][34][35][36][37][38][39] and stability/economics. [ 40,41 ] Rather than contributing another comprehensive review, we attempt to direct the readers' attention to the latest advances in the design of new polymeric materials for BHJ solar cells. We will focus on the outstanding issues in the molecular design of conjugated polymers that warrant further research activities, such as (1) lowering the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level and enhancing the external quantum effi ciency (EQE), as well as advantageously utilizing (2) electron-withdrawing substituents and (3) side chains.…”

Comparison of dimethyl sulfoxide treated highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) electrodes for use in indium tin oxide-free organic electronic photovoltaic devices

“…Additionally, the limited availability and high demand for indium has also contributed to its high cost. A study by Azzopardi et al attributed 38-51% of the total cost of an OPV device to the ITO electrode [4]. This high cost, along with limited energetic compatibility with frequently used photoactive organic materials, poor flexibility and tendency to crack and/or delaminate, has resulted in a strong interest to find an alternative material for use as the TCE without these disadvantages.…”