Fernando Rodríguez-Mas, David Valiente et all
04/03/2024
The energy sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating a transition to renewable energy sources. The photovoltaic industry plays a crucial role in this transition by harnessing solar energy, a clean and abundant resource. However, the high cost of solar panels remains a challenge. Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer a promising alternative to conventional silicon-based cells due to their low production costs and flexibility.
In this study, we focus on optimizing the performance of OSCs by investigating the influence of solvent volume in the hole transport layer. By gradually increasing the volume of dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the PEDOT:PSS layer, we analyse the impact on power conversion efficiency (PCE) and assess the economic and environmental implications.
Fig. 1. The distribution of primary energy consumption by different sources on a global, 2021 data.
About the environmental impact of the devices. The impact analysis data focuses on organic solar cells incorporating solvents and achieving high PCE. This analysis evaluates the inputs, outputs, and emissions throughout the devices life cycle, including natural resources, energy, and environmental impacts. The data is normalized to the reference cell, representing solvent-free manufacturing.
The reference device exhibits higher abiotic depletion and depletion from fossil fuels, as well as greater impact on global warming, ozone layer depletion, and human toxicity. In contrast, devices with DMF, THF, and DMSO show lower impacts in these categories. Additionally, the devices with solvents demonstrate reduced ecological impact in freshwater and marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and lower impacts in photochemical oxidation, acidification, and eutrophication compared to the reference device.
Our results demonstrate the potential for enhancing the PCE of OSCs through solvent optimization, thereby advancing the greening of the photovoltaic industry while considering economic viability and environmental sustainability.
