Organic and perovskite solar cells for space applications

📝 Abstract

For almost sixty years, solar energy for space applications has relied on inorganic photovoltaics, evolving from solar cells made of single crystalline silicon to triple junctions based on germanium and III-V alloys. The class of organic-based photovoltaics, which ranges from all-organic to hybrid perovskites, has the potential of becoming a disruptive technology in space applications, thanks to the unique combination of appealing intrinsic properties (e.g. record high specific power, tunable absorption window) and processing possibilities. Here, we report on the launch of the stratospheric mission OSCAR, which demonstrated for the first time organic-based solar cell operation in extra-terrestrial conditions. This successful maiden flight for organic-based photovoltaics opens a new paradigm for solar electricity in space, from satellites to orbital and planetary space stations.

💡 Analysis

For almost sixty years, solar energy for space applications has relied on inorganic photovoltaics, evolving from solar cells made of single crystalline silicon to triple junctions based on germanium and III-V alloys. The class of organic-based photovoltaics, which ranges from all-organic to hybrid perovskites, has the potential of becoming a disruptive technology in space applications, thanks to the unique combination of appealing intrinsic properties (e.g. record high specific power, tunable absorption window) and processing possibilities. Here, we report on the launch of the stratospheric mission OSCAR, which demonstrated for the first time organic-based solar cell operation in extra-terrestrial conditions. This successful maiden flight for organic-based photovoltaics opens a new paradigm for solar electricity in space, from satellites to orbital and planetary space stations.

📄 Content

Please cite this as: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 182 (2018) 121–127 DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2018.03.024 1

Organic and perovskite solar cells for space applications Ilaria Cardinaletti1, Tim Vangerven1, Steven Nagels1,2, Rob Cornelissen3, Dieter Schreurs1, Jaroslav Hruby1, Jelle Vodnik3, Dries Devisscher1, Jurgen Kesters1, Jan D’Haen1, Alexis Franquet4, Valentina Spampinato4, Thierry Conard4, Wouter Maes1, Wim Deferme1,2, and Jean V. Manca3

1. Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium and IMEC vzw – Division IMOMEC, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
2. Flanders Make vzw, 3920 Lommel, Belgium
3. X-LAB, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
4. IMEC vzw – 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Abstract For almost sixty years, solar energy for space applications has relied on inorganic photovoltaics, evolving from solar cells made of single crystalline silicon to triple junctions based on germanium and III-V alloys. The class of organic-based photovoltaics, which ranges from all-organic to hybrid perovskites, has the potential of becoming a disruptive technology in space applications, thanks to the unique combination of appealing intrinsic properties (e.g. record high specific power, tunable absorption window) and processing possibilities. Here, we report on the launch of the stratospheric mission OSCAR, which demonstrated for the first time organic-based solar cell operation in extra- terrestrial conditions. This successful maiden flight for organic-based photovoltaics opens a new paradigm for solar electricity in space, from satellites to orbital and planetary space stations.

1. Advantages and challenges Nearly every man-made device needs energy, most commonly in the form of electricity. This need travels along with the device, when we take it beyond the boundaries of Earth. To ensure longer lifetime and to reduce the load, solar powered satellites were introduced in the late fifties, shortly after the world wide announcement about successful solar energy harvesting[1]. PhotoVoltaics (PVs) thus allowed for truly renewable and infinitely abundant energy, the cost of which is determined only by the initial investment for the production of solar panels and, when envisioned as energy source for spacecrafts, their transport out of orbit. The cost of the latter increases quite rapidly with the mass of the object brought to space, which represents a key to the potential advantages of ultrathin solar cells. For this reason, already from the 1960s, space industry looked into the introduction of thin film CuS2, CdS, and CdTe solar cells on the increasingly energy- demanding communications satellites, but eventually remained oriented on the more reliable Si[2]. Nevertheless, already in the fields of aerospace[3] and of organic and hybrid semiconductors[4,5], the specific power (W/kg) was proposed as a valid figure of merit to evaluate PV technologies for space missions. In this regard, Organic Solar Cells (OSCs) and hybrid organic-inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) - termed together as HOPV, Hybrid and Organic PhotoVoltaics - greatly outperform their inorganic counterparts[4,5]. They represent two novel branches of PV technologies, which saw their rise during the last decade (last few years in the case of PSCs) thanks to their potentially very low production costs. The high absorbance of the photo-active layers in HOPVs allows for efficient light collection within a few hundred nanometers of material, which leads to thicknesses one or two orders of magnitude lower than those of inorganic thin PVs. The rest of the layers making up the solar cell stacks are either as thin as or thinner than the absorbers, and the only thickness (and hence mass) limitation comes from substrate and encapsulation, which can consist of micrometers thick flexible plastic foil[4,5]. The specific power reached to date for perovskite (23 kW/kg)[4] and organic (10 kW/kg)[5] solar cells is thus over 20 Please cite this as: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 182 (2018) 121–127 DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2018.03.024 2

or 10 times higher than what is required by some of the new missions which envision the need for lower weight and reduced deployment costs[2]. The high specific power is not the only appealing feature of these devices. The mentioned low cost fabrication originates from their intrinsic compatibility with low-temperature printing deposition techniques. They could thus be readily produced in situ (in/out of orbit or on a foreign planet), or transported in rolls[6]. These characteristics are quite revolutionary with respect to the PV devices currently employed by the space industry. These are folded like origami, to save volume, and the ensemble of hinges and structural elements makes up for most of the total mass of the final array[2]. The possibility to readily replace panels by means of printing is also of great value if we consider the hea

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