Organic Photovoltaic Cells for Indoor Applications: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

With the growing development of the Internet of Things, organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are highly desirable for indoor applications because of the unique features of light weight, flexibility, and coloration. Emission spectra of the commonly used indoor light sources are much narrower with lower light intensity as compared to the standard solar spectrum. High tunability in optical absorption, insensitivity to series resistance and the active layer thickness, and mild operating conditions make indoor OPV cells promising as a practically relevant technology. Currently, the OPV module has obtained a power conversion efficiency of over 20%, with excellent stability under indoor conditions. However, at the present stage, the device physics investigations and material design strategies developed in an OPV cell for indoor applications lag behind those for outdoor applications. In particular, the emerging characterizations in photovoltaic measurements have severely affected the reliability of reports. This Spotlight on Applications highlights these opportunities and challenges of OPV cells for indoor applications and reviews the recent progress in indoor OPV cells. In addition, we summarize some studies related to accurate measurement and provide some recommendations.

Stretchable ITO‐Free Organic Solar Cells with Intrinsic Anti‐Reflection Substrate for High‐Efficiency Outdoor and Indoor Energy Harvesting

“…Furthermore, the application of OPVs in indoor dim‐light energy harvesting is highly promising. [ 48–53 ] Indoor dim‐light can be directly converted into electrical energy to power smart electronic devices with low‐energy consumption. In comparison with solar irradiation, indoor dim‐light sources demonstrate distinct intensities and spectra.…”

Current Status of Emerging PV Technologies: A Comparative Study of Dye-Sensitized, Organic, and Perovskite Solar Cells

“…Dye sensitized solar cells [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Perovskite solar cells [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Organic solar cells [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] Future outlook and challenges Dye sensitized solar cells Perovskite solar cells Organic solar cells Sustainable solar energy applications Perovskite solar cells [144][145] Organic solar cells [146][147][148][149][150] Dye sensitized solar cells [137][138][139][140][141][142][143] Figure 2: Outline of the main structure and literature citations of the paper.…”

“…The optical absorption of OPVs can be tuned to be compatible with the narrow emission spectra and lower light intensity of the commonly used indoor light sources [141]. This property, along with their lightweight, flexibility, and colouration, makes them ideal for indoor applications.…”

The Influence of Photo‐Induced Space Charge and Energetic Disorder on the Indoor and Outdoor Performance of Organic Solar Cells

“…[ 19 ] In particular, organic solar cells are now frequently developed and optimized for indoor applications such as powering small, off‐grid electronic devices that constitute the internet of things. [ 20–24 ] A substantial part of device optimization for indoor applications is dealing with the increased influence of shunts at low light intensities and with the different spectrum of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or halogen lamps relative to the solar spectrum. [ 20,24 ] Industrial production of solar modules via roll‐to‐roll printing imposes additional constraints on device optimization both for indoor and outdoor applications.…”

“…[ 20–24 ] A substantial part of device optimization for indoor applications is dealing with the increased influence of shunts at low light intensities and with the different spectrum of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or halogen lamps relative to the solar spectrum. [ 20,24 ] Industrial production of solar modules via roll‐to‐roll printing imposes additional constraints on device optimization both for indoor and outdoor applications. Reducing shunt formation during roll‐to‐roll printing over larger areas requires the use of substantially thicker active layers as is common in scientific laboratory environments.…”