Inkjet printer churns out flexible solar cells

US solar specialist Konarka Technologies has announced that it has successfully demonstrated an inkjet printer capable of manufacturing solar cells.

Rick Hess, president and CEO at Konarka, said that the demonstration represented a "major milestone" and proved that inkjet printers could provide a viable means of fabricating efficient solar cells with small are requirements.

The company said that the printer technology allowed organic bulk heterojunction solar cells to be fabricated quickly and easily with "little or no loss compared to "clean room" semiconductor technologies such as spin coating ".

It added that the technology could ultimately be used to manufacture flexible, plastic-based solar cells capable of generating energy from both sunlight and indoor light and ideal for supplying lower power devices, like indoor or sensor applications. The printer could also be used to print multiple colours and patterns onto the cells, allowing them to be customised for different environments.

Konarka claims this ability to customise its Power Plastic cells coupled with their light weight and flexibility make them an ideal technology for a wide variety of locations where traditional solar panels could not be installed.

Earlier this year, for example, the company inked an agreement with sun shade manufacturer SKYShades to develop a way of applying the solar cells to sun shades. Under the terms of the agreement, Konarka has agreed to develop prototypes and installation suggestions by the end of the year that could allow SKYShades to develop canopies capable of generating usable energy.