Polymer solar cells have been under research and development at Risø DTU for 10 years and are said to be an “inexpensive alternative to silicon solar cells” and have “a significant industrial potential.”

Production of polymer solar cells starts from a roll of flexible foil onto which the solar cell is built layer by layer by printing and finally rolled up onto the coil again.

Encapsulated and ready-to-use units can then be cut from the roll and according to the customer’s specification.

As the whole process from feedstock to finished product is performed roll-to-roll, the polymer solar cell production line paves the way towards mass production of solar cells and thereby correspondingly low prices, Risø says.