The ‘Powerfoyle’ mini, screen printable solar cells produced by Swedish startup Exeger could be a breakthrough in providing a renewable, sustainable, potentially endless power source for all kinds of gadgets and devices.
What Is ‘Powerfoyle’?
Powerfoyle is a flexible solar cell that can be screen-printed into strips. Powerfoyle incorporates a special coloured dye which absorbs the light from any angle under any light conditions, indoors or outdoors, and acts like artificial photosynthesis. These mini solar cells, therefore, turn light into energy and can be incorporated into any gadget or device, giving it a potentially endless, independent power source. Powerfoyle is silicon-free, and unlike other types of solar cells, its fully active surface means that even in partial light exposure, it still works.
Printable
It reportedly took only 23 seconds to manufacture approximately 100 to 200 cells using high-speed screen printers in one run. The cells can be printed into any type or form and produced in sizes ranging from 15cm² to 500cm². In addition, the printed solar cells can quickly be shipped to partner companies, along with instructions on how to incorporate them into products.
Products
Examples of the kinds of products into which the Powerfoyle solar cells have (and could be) incorporated include headphones, portable speakers, remote controls, helmets, vests, hearing protection for innovative workplaces, and IoT devices such as trackers and sensors.
Others
Other organisations manufacture printable, flexible, lightweight solar cells, including CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in Australia and the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI).
Disadvantages?
Disadvantages of some of the printable solar cells currently being produced could include efficiency challenges due to not using silicone, the amount of time the technology could take to reach the mass market, and the technology possibly being short-lived, although improvements could be rapid.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
Thinking about the vast number of IoT devices and gadgets that could benefit from having their renewable, potentially endless power source built-in gives some idea of the scope of this type of revolutionary product. The fact that solar cells can be any shape and size can be printed in quantity quickly at low cost, and can be installed at low price gives them real commercial potential. Also, the fact that it would reduce demand on base-load power from the grid and could get around energy policy inertia in some countries show its huge green potential. These cells could, therefore, be used across multiple industries and sectors and represent a low-cost, high-value way to help towards achieving environmental targets as well as meet the practical power needs of products innovatively.
