Reinventado a relação Sol/Edificio, PixelVoltaic

NZEB Lisboa, June 26th, 2012

Adélio Mendes

Departamento de Eng. Química

Sustainable architecture

Solar Power Radiation

173 000 TW

SUN – A nuclear fusion reactor located at a safe distance

Solar Power Radiation

How to take advantage of this huge energy source?

Dye sensitized Solar Cells

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

How they work?

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

How they work?

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

What are the advantages?

Made of cheap and abundant and non-toxic materials

Use more efficiently the diffuse light

Less sensitive to the temperature

Aesthetically very pleasant – build integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 164 (2004) 203–207

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

What are the challenges?

Sealing cells still a challenging issue – normally sealed with

polymeric materials such as Surlyn®.

Low energy efficiencies – submodule maximum efficiency ca. 9.9

% (Sony).

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

Advancements in DSC sealing

Would be it possible to glass seal the cells?

Would be it possible to make the subtracts orders of magnitude more

electrical conductive?

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

New approach:

Glass sealing assisted by laser

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

New approach:

Glass sealing assisted by laser

LaserBox

• 2D laser head

• Ytterbium laser

(λ = 1064 nm, Pmax= 200 W)

• Sealing temperature: ca. 250 °C

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

New approach:

Glass sealing assisted by laser

• Resistant to thermal shocks: 10x dived in glycol aqueous solution from -20 °C to 80 °C, steps of 20 °C.

• Resistant from -20 °C +80 °C.

• >30 kgf of shear strength.

• Glass – Glass substrates.

• Glass – Metal substrates.

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

New approach:

High conductive substrate

Metal engraved mesh coated with TCO:

Embedded Transparent Conducting Oxide technology

Dye Sensitized solar Cells

New approach:

High conductive substrate

Embedded Transparent Conducting Oxide technology:

• Cheaper production process.

• Larger active areas.

• More aesthetic.

Dye Sensitized solar Cells - Efacec

Expected performances:

Inserted in a double sheet glass of any dimension

Life-time: > 25 years

Efficiency: ca. 8 %

Amortization time: < 2.5 years selling electricity at

market price.

Dye Sensitized solar Cells - Sony

Questions are welcome