Development of low-cost polymer solar cells applicable for rooftops

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Solar energy is the most abundant, readily accessible, sustainable, and clean energy source available on the earth. The most desirable approach to harvesting solar energy is to utilize a photovoltaic (PV) device or solar cell to convert the photo energy into electrical power that is convenient to transport, distribute, and use. This collaborative project to be conducted by the teams from the University of Waterloo and Canadian General Tower (CGT) Ltd will develop innovative printable polymer solar cells with good power conversion efficiency and stability. The long term goal aims to create and develop high-performance and low-cost solar cell technology manufactured through high throughput roll-to-roll printing process. This solar cell technology will be particularly suitable to be mounted on or integrated with the rooftop membrane for low-cost and sustainable electricity generation. This research will involve materials development, optimization of materials processing**and device fabrication, and printing large area polymer solar cells. New knowledge will be created and the enabling technology developed through this collaborative effort will be directly adopted by CGT to manufacture polymer rooftop solar cells. The knowledge, expertise, and technology created from this research will also be applicable to several related Canadian industry sectors including chemicals, printing, energy, and housing. A wide-spread application of this technology will reduce the use of fossil fuels, cut down greenhouse gas emission, and boost the Canadian economy.