NLAB Solar, the company that has filed a patent for the production of

opaque solar cells that can be printed on, for example, paper-like

material, now hopes to be able to utilize the paper industry’s

processes.

NLAB Solar’s President, Giovanni Fili, tells Nordic Paper Journal that

the ambition is to use the processes and know-how found in traditional

Swedish industry to launch the solar cells across the globe.

“The business concept is to export production facilities on license

while retaining strategic research centers in Sweden,” says Fili,

holding up a solar cell the size of an iPad.

The product in question is referred to as Dye Sensitized Solar Cells,

which unlike siliconbased solar cells, does not need to be exposed to

direct sunlight in order to be efficient. They generate energy in hazy

and overcast weather conditions because they are based on dyed titanium

dioxide instead of using silicone as the semiconductor. They can

therefore be customized to suit the light conditions and temperatures

in which they will be deployed, meaning that they can also be used

indoors.Håkan Envall, Enwall Consulting and Giovanni Fili, NLAB Solar, hope to be able to utilize the paper industry’s

processes.According to Giovanni Fili, we could be on the threshold of a revolution.

Solar cells can now be made as thin as 0.05 millimeters and NLAB Solar

can print an extremely thin film of the photovoltaic material in a

multi-layer structure comprising five to ten solar cells using

conventional screen printing methods.

Because the solar cells are printed on plastic or foil, the weight per

square meter is only about 400 grams, but there is almost no limit to

the material upon which the solar cells can be printed. And we could be

seeing even smaller solar cells if it is now possible to print on

paper-like material.

The technology could considerably reduce electricity costs per generated watt while also increasing power output.