Our Key Technology (1DPC)

As revolutionary as dye-sensitized solar cells are, we are not simply banking on the existing technology to get us through. We believe we have a game changer in our hands, a key patented technology called 1-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPC). It is the only known technology which can dramatically increase the efficiency in existing transparent dye-sensitized solar cells.

The bottom-line

Our technology is able to significantly improve the efficiency in any exisiting transparent dye-sensitized solar cell at virtually no material cost.

That is not all. With our technology, we can also tweak the color and degree of transparency of any dye-sensitized solar cell, without affecting the performance of the cell. That has never been done before. Just imagine the possibilities. We have all seen how the current solar cells look like – opaque and dull. Not anymore, we will be offering solar cells that are functional and aesthetically pleasing on your windows, cars, laptops and mobile phones.

The intricacies

The 1-dimensional photonic crystal can be introduced as a layer into any dye-sensitized solar cell. It acts as a tunable selective mirror inside the cell, reflecting specific wavelengths of light back into the light-absorbing layer (light which will otherwise pass through the solar cell uncaptured). Essentially, we give the light-absorbing layer two bites at the cherry.

This means an increased light absorption which in turn, increases the efficiency of the solar cell. This also means we can control the colour of the solar cell, by controlling the wavelength of light we reflect.

Click on the image for an enlarged view

Schematic illustration of how our patented 1DPC technology can significantly increase efficiency of DSCs.