Issue 39, 2013

The case for organic photovoltaics

Abstract

Increasing demand for energy worldwide, driven largely by the developing world, coupled with the tremendous hidden costs associated with traditional energy sources necessitates an unprecedented fraction of the future global energy mix come from sustainable, renewable sources. The potential solar energy resource dwarfs that of all other renewable sources combined, yet only two photovoltaic technologies are known to have the potential to be scaled up to make dramatic impact on the overall energy mix: silicon and organic photovoltaics. In this paper, we present the long-term sustainability advantages of organics when compared to silicon and other photovoltaic technologies in terms of energy payback time and global warming potential while also discussing the outlook for transitional applications of organic solar cells.

Graphical abstract: The case for organic photovoltaics

  • This article is part of the themed collection: Solar energy

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
14 Jun 2013
Accepted
04 Jul 2013
First published
04 Jul 2013

RSC Adv., 2013,3, 17633-17648

The case for organic photovoltaics

S. B. Darling and F. You, RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 17633 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA42989J

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