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

STTR 第一阶段：用于温室的溶液加工柔性半透明有机光伏 (OPV) 模块

• 批准号: 2213220
• 负责人: Dustin Abele
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: POLYPV, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-05-15 至 2024-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2213220&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Solution; processed; flexible

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.

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）项目的更广泛影响/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（即窗户）上应用半透明有机太阳能电池来提高其经济潜力。温室可以是一种高生产率的农业形式，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。温室要成为未来可持续农业的一部分，就需要减少对能源的需求。先前的研究表明，有机太阳能模块集成到温室结构中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，全球传统温室商业市场规模将达到506亿美元。不断增长的温室市场转化为千兆瓦级的太阳能市场规模。在温室中采用有机太阳能组件的附加经济效益为广泛采用有机太阳能组件和不断增长的温室市场提供了途径。这个STTR一期项目建议开发柔性、半透明的有机太阳能电池，专门为温室玻璃集成量身定制。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的能源需求，提供一种更环保的农业形式。为了实现这种低能源需求温室的愿景，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且具有可调透光率的光活性油墨；(2)采用可扩展涂层方法制备银纳米线，实现高透明度和物理坚固、透明、导电的电极；(3)开发大面积、低成本、透明、灵活的封装层。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有利操作特性，提供独特的商业机会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。