Organic PV Sets Record: 14.46% Efficiency

• Dr. Brabec's research team sets a new world record in OPV efficiency, reaching 14.46%. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize our energy future with OPV's flexibility, transparency, and lower environmental impact.

The research group headed by Dr. Christoph Brabec, Chair of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology at FAU and director at the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), has achieved a recent breakthrough for Organic Photovoltaics (OPV). The team was able to increase OPV efficiency to 14.46%, setting a new world record. OPV has several advantages over silicon-based technology, such as the capability to be flexible and transparent, easier recycling, and a lower environmental footprint. The research team worked on three parameters to achieve this: improved active materials, reducing inactive areas, and creating a more homogeneous coating. This research milestone is a major step forward for OPV, and is an example of the successful cooperation between FAU and HI ERN.

What Breakthrough Has Dr. Brabec's Team Achieved for Organic Photovoltaics?

• Development of an enhanced active layer material, resulting in maximum efficiency of up to 14.46%
• Reduction of inactive area by improving fabrication techniques
• Even distribution of the active materials over the entire OPV device
• Ability to adapt to different shapes, making OPV more versatile and able to be integrated into various objects and structures
• Eco-friendliness, with a lower environmental impact than silicon-based technology
• Easy recycling process, making OPV more sustainable
• Lower costs associated with the production of OPV compared to silicon-based technology