Imagine solar panels that are as flexible as plastic wrap instead of heavy glass sheets. These new cells are made using a fast-heating light process that makes them efficient and easy to produce. They are also designed to be safely recycled, so the toxic materials don't end up in the trash.
Current high-efficiency perovskite solar cells are mostly limited to small lab samples and suffer from stability issues and toxic waste. There is a lack of scalable, flexible, and environmentally safe production methods for commercial use.
A production process for flexible solar cells using photonic annealing and green chemistry. This includes the development of non-toxic sealants for lead sequestration and a closed-loop recycling system.
If you are a gadget manufacturer dealing with short battery life in portable devices — this project developed flexible PSCs with ≥23% efficiency for large-area devices that can be integrated into curved surfaces. This allows for continuous power generation without adding bulk.
If you are a PV producer dealing with the high carbon footprint of rigid panels — this project developed a flexible substitution strategy to extend the lifetime of rigid modules beyond 25 years. This reduces the overall cost and environmental impact of solar installations.
If you are a recycling firm dealing with toxic lead leakage from old solar cells — this project developed Pb-sequestration additive active sealants and closed-loop recycling methods. This ensures the safe recovery and reuse of materials from spent perovskite cells.
The project uses cost-effective flexible substrates and rapid photonic annealing to reduce the economic impact and carbon footprint compared to current PV technologies.
Yes, the project utilizes large-area coating methods such as blade, slot-die, and inkjet printing, achieving fast crystallization in less than 1 minute on PET substrates.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not listed, but the project involves 4 industry partners and 4 SMEs, suggesting a path toward commercial exploitation.
Early tests show mini-modules retained 80% of their efficiency outdoors after 10 days, while devices in nitrogen kept 60% after 1000 hours.
The project is active from November 2023 to October 2027, indicating that full validation and final results will be available by late 2027.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, consisting of 11 partners across 7 countries. With an industry ratio of 36% (including 4 SMEs), there is a strong bridge between the 6 universities and the market. The presence of both research institutes and industrial players suggests the project is focused on moving from lab-scale efficiency to industrial-scale manufacturing.
Contact AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS in Spain
Contact us to connect with the HEPAFLEX consortium for licensing and pilot partnerships.
