Small Molecular Organic Photovoltaics - OPV™
Photonic energy is the most abundant and available source of energy - yet remains virtually unused by mankind. The photovoltaic effect behind solar cells has been understood for years - first discovered in 1839. Yet the products developed to harvest solar energy remain fragile, heavy, expensive to manufacture and generally not competitive with other energy sources. Virtually all of the commercial products available today use inorganic materials, primarily silicon. Despite these challenges, the PV market has grown at over 20% annually for over 20 years - and recent growth has accelerated. In 2005, module production grew over 50% as sales reached $9 billion.
The Opportunity
The opportunity for photovoltaics is to identify a technology that eliminates the cost, product and manufacturing challenges of existing inorganic approaches - while creating new capabilities. Current inorganic materials have challenges including:
- Difficult and expensive to manufacture
- Limited substrate options - heavy glass or stainless steel
- Limited basic materials - some environmentally unfriendly like Cadmium
- Limited aesthetic options - black or blue only
- Heavy and cumbersome "picture frame" support elements
- Extremely Fragile
GPEC Breakthrough
GPEC has created OPV™ cells with new capabilities by using materials made with carbon - one of the most ubiquitous molecules in nature and a fundamental building block of natural systems.
GPEC's organic, small-molecular photovoltaic technology represents a departure from the past with solar cells that can be:
- Ultra-low cost
- Flexible and lightweight
- Amenable to continuous, "roll-to-roll" manufacture
- Applied to virtually any surface including curved and non-planar surfaces
- Semi-transparent
- Color tuned
- Enabling for new product innovations
- BIPV ("Building-Integrated Photovoltaics") Applications and Novel New Approaches - e.g. power generating windows that retain functionality
- Power Generation (Grid-Connected And Remote)
- Disposable Applications
- Seamless Device Power-Packaging Integration
- Military Applications
- Smart Card Power
- Consumer Products
And this is just the beginning, as GPEC technologies reach designers and product innovators new and previously unimagined ideas will be sparked by our unique features, enabled by breakthrough thinking.
Contact
GPEC is selecting partners to accelerate the development of this technology. Companies interested in learning more should contact the Company. Contact GPEC
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