There has long been keen interest in organic photovoltaics (OPV), with even more thought about the potential of printing OPV by roll-to-roll methods. However, there have been several drawbacks along the way, beginning with the efficiencies of the modules themselves. Simply put, OPV is not competitive in an outdoor setting compared to classic silicon and cadmium telluride cells.

Of course, technologies often find new opportunities and new markets along the way, and printed OPV is no exception. It turns out that with the right technology, OPV can harvest ambient light in indoor settings.

When you consider the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), where potentially trillions of devices will have sensors that could use power, and the difficulty of creating and recycling batteries for these devices, and you have an interesting opportunity indeed.

Headquartered in Sweden, Epishine has developed solar cells that capture energy, even in low light. Its thin, flexible light energy harvesting modules are made of organic and non-toxic materials such as organic PEDOT: PSS-based electrodes and are printed on roll-to-roll presses. These modules are encapsulated in recyclable plastic.

Epishine has recently reported a number of commercial successes. Pricer, a leading supplier of shelf edge automation, sees Epishine’s energy solution as an ideal approach for retail.
 
“We are convinced that Epishine is the perfect choice of partner for us and together we aim at setting a new standard for sustainable retail. With more than 30 million electronic shelf labels sold every year, Pricer realizes the positive impact that alternative energy sources will have on retailers’ sustainability targets,” said Chris Chalkitis, chief digital officer at Pricer, in announcing the partnership.

Then there’s MClimate, a leading smart building company, which has developed a wireless thermostat powered by Epishine’s indoor solar cell. The organic solar cell replaces the need for batteries, thereby eliminating waste as well as maintenance.

It’s been a busy few years at Epishine, which is building a new manufacturing headquarters after it outgrew its previous home. Not surprisingly, Daniel Westling, Epishine’s VP sales and marketing, noted that the past two years at Epishine have been very eventful.

“We have made several advancements regarding our sustainable powering solution, the printed indoor solar cell produced by us in Sweden in our patented roll-to-roll process,” Westling reported. “There have been advancements both regarding production and the solar cell itself continuously during the past two years. We have also welcomed many new colleagues and outgrown the premises we have today.”

Westling said that the partnerships with Pricer and MClimate show how far Epishine has come in recent years.

“Earlier this year, a new product powered by our indoor solar cells was launched by MClimate, which is always exciting,” Westling noted. “The market is more and more curious about new solutions as well as tired of the hassle of the previous ones such as disposable batteries, etc. We have also announced our strategic partnership together with Pricer to set the foundation for the next generation of sustainable light-powered electronic shelf labels.”

Westling attributed the increased demand from the market to several factors, beginning with the need to reduce the usage of disposable batteries.

“We operate mostly in the world of property technology where the rising number of disposable batteries is staggering,” he said. “The deployment of sensors needed to make buildings sustainable is not possible without a powering solution that has lower total cost of ownership and is more sustainable than disposable batteries. We see this in the market today as both property owners and sensor companies are reaching out and are looking for new solutions. We also see a great interest from the consumer electronics industry where our solar cells can power a wide variety of products.”

Epishine’s latest development is its OneCell, which can be cut into any shape, allowing it to be customized. The new OneCell is an important addition to the Epishine portfolio.

“Earlier this year, we released the OneCell, an indoor solar cell with equally high and even higher performance as our previous ones,” Westling said. “What makes the OneCell stand out is the added focus on design with its options for different textures and integration possibilities.” 

Westling sees plenty of opportunities ahead for Epishine in the coming years.

“We have many interesting projects in the near future, both when it comes to new partners, clients and developments of our technology,” Westling concluded. “We are always taking steps towards our mission to become global leaders of roll-to-roll printed solar cells and we have an interesting future ahead of us.”