The ground-breaking photovoltaics (PV) research team at NPL is focusing on providing innovative solutions to the key measurement challenges that are presently limiting uptake of new technologies based on excitonic PVs. These third generation PV systems have the potential for very low cost manufacturing that could revolutionise the use of renewable energy but require further research and development before they become commercially viable on a large scale.

Photovoltaics devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. Currently, only 0.3% of European electricity is generated by PVs, despite the fact that in just one hour the same energy from sunlight strikes the earth (about 5 × 1020 J) than is consumed worldwide in one year. The main bottleneck for ubiquitous use of PVs is related to production costs, which are still too high relative to their energy output. The grand challenge is to link nanoscale characteristics with homogeneity of properties and final device performance.

NPL offers an advanced measurement and testing platform with the broad goal of supporting UK development, competitiveness, and exploitation of photovoltaic technologies. Our work is centred on three broad themes:

• Performance
  Nano- to micro-metre scale characterization, including bulk and surface properties of films and devices
• Durability
  Long term and accelerated testing, degradation mechanism elucidation, failure analysis, seals and barrier layer characterization
• Process quality control
  Off line inspection, in-line testing, large area metrology

People

• Fernando Araújo de Castro
• William Kylberg
• James Blakesley
• Alina Zoladek-Lemanczyk

Photovoltaics News

• Sustainable, flexible and cost-effective organic electronics
• NPL joins the European Energy Research Alliance
• Organic solar cell breakthrough
• New ways to harvest solar energy
• Solar panel power quality

Useful links

• Measurement expertise
• Current projects
• Publications and presentations
• Organic Electronics

External collaboration

NPL is a member of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) - Joint Programme on Photovoltaics. EERA aims to accelerate the development of new energy technologies by conceiving and implementing Joint Research Programmes that support the European Commission's Strategic Energy Technology plan

NPL is a member of the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A).

NPL is also currently collaborating with:

• Imperial College London (UK)
• Bath University (UK)
• FlexInk (UK)
• Pilkingon (UK)
• RK PrintCoat Instruments (UK)
• Solvay Interox (UK)
• EMPA (Switzerland)
• Inmetro (Brazil)
• SolarPrint (Ireland)
• PTB (Germany)
• Total SA (France)