Solar power systems have reached a level of development where organic aesthetics are almost as important as efficiency. Designs that harmonize with nature are far more popular than the harsh, rigid, geometric forms that power installations have traditionally taken.
In keeping with the trend, artistically creative solar panel developers in Finland selected a flora-inspired motif to house their technology, and the end result is so pleasing to the eye that it could convince even the staunchest of fossil fuel holdouts.
Aesthetic, organic, and renewable: Solar panels have leveled up
The VTT Technical Centre in Finland is behind the decorative, flexible solar panels that deliver enough electricity to power and charge small devices such as sensors and cellphones. One of the most interesting aspects of the technology is that it is able to draw energy from artificial lighting as well as sunlight, meaning that it will even work indoors or under outdoor lighting at night.
VTT chose a leaf design for its innovative panels and the end result is so pleasing to the eye that the panels could be passed off as purely for art, a direction that could change the face of photovoltaics forever. The design crosses the line from power-generating functionality into interior design, and it appears that the team has crafted a winner in two different markets. New designs may be released in the future and we may see these solar panels taking a variety of organic forms.
Cutting-edge technology: The solar leaves are printed rather than manufactured
VTT’s flexible, organic solar panels are just two millimeters thick, including the polymer layers and electrodes, with each individual layer being thinner than paper. Their durable material means that they’re suitable for indoor or outdoor applications and can be installed on surfaces like walls, windows, and roofs, or even on objects like machines or in vehicles.
Mass production makes the panels globally available
One of the features that makes the photovoltaic leaves innovative is the utilization of a printing process to produce the panels rather than traditional silicon panel assembly. Both the decorative and functional components are layered together in a mass-production process using the roll-to-roll method, which can produce up to 328 feet of highly flexible film per minute.
VTT’s Research Team Leader, Tapio Ritvonen, explained that the process uses one rotary screen printing layer and two gravure printing layers that are applied to a plastic substrate foundation. The energy-absorbing layers are printed between plastic foils. The final step is encapsulation within protective barrier films.
What kind of output and efficiency do the PV leaves deliver?
Developers tested the solar leaves by printing hundreds of them and arranging them into an array, whereby 200 units make up one square meter of active energy harvesting surface. The output generated was 3.2 amps of electricity delivering 10.4 watts of power at Mediterranean latitudes.
What are the benefits of VTT’s printed photovoltaic panels when compared to silicon panels?
- Cost-effective to produce
- Low material consumption
- Flexible
- Lightweight
- Recyclable
There is one shortcoming of the solar leaves, and that’s a much lower efficiency than conventional, rigid, silicon panels. To improve output, researchers are experimenting with applying the same roll-to-roll manufacturing methods to perovskite cells. The early results are promising, considering that the first cells of this kind produced in the lab are already delivering a five-times higher power output than the photovoltaic version.
There’s a high likelihood that the VTT Technical Center will soon deliver a viable product for both the renewable energy sector and the interior design sphere. It’s an exciting time for the convergence of art and sustainability, which can also be seen in this futuristic solar sphere.