STTR Phase I: Solution processed flexible semitransparent organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules for greenhouses

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种颠覆性技术，减少温室农业对环境的影响，同时通过在温室玻璃上应用半透明有机太阳能电池来提高其经济潜力（即，windows）。温室可以是一种高生产力的农业形式，可以节约土地和水，使其成为一种有吸引力的可持续和气候适应性农业形式。然而，温室比传统农业消耗更多的能源。为了使温室成为可持续农业未来的一部分，需要减少其能源需求。先前的研究表明，集成到温室结构中的有机太阳能模块可以减少甚至消除外部能源需求，同时不会对作物生产产生负面影响。到2025年，全球传统温室的商业市场将达到506亿美元。不断增长的温室市场转化为千兆瓦的太阳能市场规模。在温室中采用有机太阳能组件的额外经济效益为有机太阳能组件的广泛采用和不断增长的温室市场提供了一条途径。STTR第一阶段项目旨在开发灵活、透明的有机太阳能电池，专门用于温室玻璃集成。有机太阳能电池将有助于这种温室的能源生产，并可能完全消除温室能源需求，提供一种更环保的农业形式。为了实现低能耗温室的愿景，需要制造高性能的柔性有机太阳能电池。该解决方案将通过优化有源层、电极和封装工艺来实现。三个主要研究任务是：（1）生产与大规模涂层兼容并具有调谐透射率的光敏油墨;（2）基于使用可扩展涂层方法生产的银纳米线实现高透明度和物理坚固的透明导电电极;以及（3）开发大面积，低成本，透明和柔性封装层。如果成功，这些太阳能电池将具有其他太阳能电池技术无法实现的优越操作特性，提供独特的商业机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project is to develop a disruptive technology that reduces the environmental impact of greenhouse-based agriculture while simultaneously improving its economic potential through the application of semitransparent organic solar cells onto the greenhouse glazing (i.e., windows). Greenhouses can be a form of high productivity farming that conserves land and water making them an attractive form of sustainable and climate resilient agriculture. However, greenhouses consume significantly more energy than conventional farming. For greenhouses to be a part of a sustainable agriculture future, there is a need to reduce their energy demand. Prior research has demonstrated that organic solar modules integrated into greenhouse structures may reduce or even eliminate external energy demand while not negatively impacting crop production. The global commercial market of conventional greenhouses will reach $50.6 billion by 2025. The growing greenhouse market translates to gigawatt solar power market size. The added economic benefit of organic solar module adoption in greenhouses provides a path for widespread adoption of organic solar modules and the growing greenhouse market. This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop flexible, semitransparent, organic solar cells that are tailored specifically for greenhouse glazing integration. The organic solar cells will contribute to the energy production of such greenhouses and may completely eliminate greenhouse energy needs, providing a more environmentally sound form of agriculture. To make this vision of low energy demand greenhouses, there is a need to make high-performance flexible organic solar cells. This solution will be achieved through the optimization of the active layer, the electrodes, and the encapsulation processes. The three primary research tasks are to: (1) produce photoactive inks that are compatible with large-scale coating and have tuned transmittance; (2) achieve high transparency and physically robust, transparent, conducting electrodes based on silver nanowires produced using scalable coating methods; and (3) develop large area, low-cost, transparent, and flexible encapsulation layers. If successful, these solar cells will have advantageous operating characteristics not achievable with other solar cell technologies, providing a unique commercial opportunity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.