Feasibility study for developing large scale narrow band gap polymeric solar cell: Technical challenges and life cycle economic

Staffordshire Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Engineering

Continuous global demand for energy and reliance on fossil fuel as the main source of power generation could initiates global temperature rise and irreversible environmental damage. An alternative power generation mechanism with lower CO2 emission is required to address the challenges associated with global warming. The purpose of this project is to generate low-cost electricity from flexible organic solar cells that can be easily transported to the outreach locations having no access to the mains grid.

This project is scheduled for 24 months and due to be completed in February 2023. During these investigations several challenges must be addressed. For example, employing green solvent for solution processed active material, uniformity in thin films thickness and morphology, thermal stability, and of course large-scale device fabrication techniques to facilitate device power conversion efficiency (greater than 20%). Some of the challenges have been successfully addressed or about to be completed. Our partner in this project is Alexandria University in Egypt.

Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab World and the third-most populous on the African continent. With a rapidly growing population of 100 million and a host of major energy-intensive industrial facilities, Egypt requires a large supply of power to maintain growth. Currently 92.8% of the power is generated through fossil fuels, 5.1% through hydroelectric plants and 2.1% from other renewable sources. Therefore, to comply with the Paris agreement, Egypt needs to generate 20% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2022. This includes 2.8 GW from solar PV. The current proposal as well as promoting greater utilisation of PV, it is targeting remote locations in Egypt where the mains grid is not available. Therefore, the impact of this project on socioeconomics of the inhabitant in remote locations could be monitored during the life of this project and beyond the completion date.

Lead researcher

Torfeh Sadat-Shafai

Emeritus Professor

Torfeh's expertise lies in plastic electronics, Photovoltaics, Experimental Physics, Electronic Material; Thin Films Technology and Optoelectronics. Torfeh is also course leader for Advanced Technology MSc

Torfeh's profile

Associated researcher

Professor Hamidreza Gohari Darabkhani

Professor-Low Carbon & Renew Energy Sys

Prof Gohari Darabkhani has focused his research and industry collaborations on technologies and projects that directly contribute to resolving current major issues in the energy industry to achieving net-zero emission targets by 2050.

Hamidreza's profile

Funding Bodies

British Council: Newton Institutional link