Jun 29, 2015 | By Simon
Thanks to a recent surge of interest surrounding various alternative energy sources and technologies including Elon Musk’s announcement of a Tesla home battery, we’ve been seeing a number of new technologies that make harnessing these energies easier and more powerful than ever before - and many of them were created thanks to various additive manufacturing techniques.
Now, a new printed solar cell technology that only requires the use of existing industrial-size 3D printers and some perovskite material may soon promise clean renewable for 1.3 billion people in developing countries, too.
The new technology, which is capable of producing printed solar cells that are both flexible and inexpensive to transport, is better for manufactured cells for rural communities because it doesn’t require the need for large quantities of silicon-based panels which are produced in wafers and require large amounts of sunlight to be efficient.
According to Scott Watkins, the director of the unit for overseas business at Korean firm Kyung-In Synthetic, these 3D printed solar cells have already been used in India. “I’ve witnessed first-hand how the technology has enabled urban poor communities in India to access off-grid electricity,” says Watkins. “Its success is due to its cost effectiveness and simplicity. A 10×10 cm solar cell film is enough to generate as much as 10-50 watts per square meter.”
Watkins recently spoke about the technology during the Smart Villages session of the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea. Among other topics discussed included the interest and funding of the technology, which saw a jump in energy efficiency jump from 3 percent to 20 percent in just a matter of a few years.
Of course, just like most other new technologies, the new printed cells are not without their development hurdles. In their current state, the printed cells have shown to be vulnerable to moisture which could lead to contamination if a cell were to become brittle and break. According to Watkins, the organization is currently looking into different types of protective coatings that will help add durability to the cells without sacrificing their lightweight and flexible properties.
Additionally, replicating the production process that has proven to be successful in their own controlled lab environment has proven to be an expensive endeavor, too. Bernie Jones, a co-leader of the Smart Villages Initiative, states that although the method of producing the solar film strips at a low cost has been perfected, replicating the process to other production facilities will require a large amount of capital.
“Entrepreneurs we’ve engaged cannot afford to invest in the printing machines needed to produce cheap solar strips,” says Jones.
Although gathering the funding is an uphill battle for any startup or nonprofit, the use of additive manufacturing methods to produce the cells is surely one of the most efficient ways of doing so regardless of where they end up setting up shop.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
Maybe you also like:
- Spain's Moyupi lets kids create their own full-color 3D printed monster toy designs
- Legacy Effects uses Carbon3D's CLIP 3D printers for Terminator Genisys & Hollywood special effects
- German Giant Ottobock teams with UNYQ to develop stylish 3D printed prosthetics
- Russian company Rostec unveils 3D printed multipurpose amphibious drone
- Taiwanese man creates 'Panda', a 3D printed house-cleaning robot
- Boeing's new eco-focused 757 utilizes all-new aviation technologies including 3D printing
- British PhD student 3D prints on inflatable substrate to create artificial muscles
- Bold Machines teams up with Milestone-Studio to 3D print an oral cancer diagnosis kit
Are these for sale in the US? Have people begun installing and using them?
Tshiamo Justice Lepale wrote at 12/30/2016 6:17:24 AM:
'm interested in this technology.Botswana is a semi-desert in our country and electricity is needed most at at remote area.please I'will like to set up a sustainable 3D Solar Panel plant. Please asisst with cost of setting up the plant best regards
Masud Ahmed wrote at 4/10/2016 9:13:15 AM:
Hi, we are highly interested about this technology. We would like to get involved in solar energy in our country. How can contact with you? please let us know.
Rohit Grover (the Awesome) wrote at 2/15/2016 8:45:56 PM:
I am doing a science project on printable solar cells right now
Rohit Grover (the Awesome) wrote at 2/15/2016 8:43:37 PM:
I am doing a science project on printable solar cells right now
Peter Witham wrote at 11/24/2015 7:22:28 PM:
Seeking 3D printed roof tile maker (developer and potential maker) for a start-up company. Any leads or introductions would be appreciated. Thank you.
Rudy wrote at 11/6/2015 9:42:04 AM:
Have a look how these guys in Denmark print solar cells. It looks like they even sell them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeVKiaif9po https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SJuIl-gd8g
Utkarshaa wrote at 10/16/2015 1:09:26 AM:
Hello , may I know what will be the approximate LCOE for this technology at present . I am a student and is reading about your technology since a long time. Please inform me .
Dawn Davis wrote at 9/24/2015 9:16:40 PM:
Good evening We are a women empowerment company in South Africa. We would like to get involved in solar energy. We are very interested in this concept. Could you please let us know if you would be interested in allowing us to bring your concept to South Africa. Electricity supply is a big problem here and thousands of people have no electricity in their townships. Could you also please let us know what the costs would be to set up a sustainable 3D Solar Panel plant. Kind regards Dawn Davis Partner Empower Solars Cape Town South Africa
Gedeon wrote at 8/16/2015 12:32:21 AM:
This is Incredible and so very useful. I want to try to help my home country of Haiti as well by providing affordable electricity.
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
