Polymer Solar Vehicle

Polymer Solar Vehicle

On a bright sunny autumn day, Risø DTU demonstrated the Polymer Solar Vehicle, the first vehicle capable of carrying one person to be powered by polymer solar cells.

Polymer solar cells have reached a maturity level that allows for larger demonstrations on a significant scale. To illustrate this, the team of solar researchers and technicians at Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, has developed the concept of a vehicle powered by polymer solar cells. The light weight tri-wheel vehicle was fitted with approximately 3 square meter polymer solar panels providing 17 Volt and 3 Ampere. The collected electrons from the solar panels on the Polymer Solar Vehicle were directly applied to power an electrical motor that propels the vehicle and including a 75 kg driver forward – no battery or storage device was applied.

Polymer solar cells are solar cells that are capable of transforming photons from the sun into electrons in an electrical circuit – but instead of the predominant solar cell material, silicon, the polymer solar cells are made from synthetic polymer chains. The polymer solar cell technology is interesting because it possesses a potential cost competitive structure. The choice of materials combined with the potentially fast and scalable low cost manufacturing processes allows for low cost solar cells and is a promising source of solar energy for the future.