Grant: Idea to Innovation

This i2i project addresses the surging global market demands of solar electricity. The project team will develop low-cost light-weight photovoltaic (PV) cells on inexpensive flexible polymers such as polyester. The developed product can be an efficient PV cell in the form of an aesthetically attractive polyester cloth ("PV cloth") attached with VelcroTM to the clothes, handbag or backpack of a consumer with its PV electricity safely delivered to the cell phone and MP3 in his/her pocket. The "PV cloth" will also be found to cover most interior or even exterior surfaces to generate solar electricity for a hybrid car. The project exploits the team's patent-pending technology of low-temperature one-pot electrodeposition of an emerging PV material known as CIGS for the production of such "PV cloth". CIGS is chosen to give the best PV efficiency because of its excellent absorbancy of sunlight. The "CIGS PV cloth" is expected to generate greater than three times more solar electricity than the only prevailing technology for making PV products on polyester - the organic semiconductor PV technology. Within one year, the i2i Phase I project will deliver prototypes of "CIGS PV cloth" in 5 cm x 5 cm pieces with high PV efficiency to prove the "PV cloth" concept. Within two additional years, the i2i Phase II extension will deliver prototypes of "CIGS PV cloth" in 50 cm x 50 cm pieces, with adequate external beta testing results, to verify the readiness of scale-up production. The team also plans to file a full patent on the design and production method of "CIGS PV cloth" before the end of Phase I. The i2i project will lead to the following benefits to Canada: (a) Wealth creations include new start-ups to produce the "PV cloth" products, design them as fashion outfits; new business in the value chain of these new start-ups; new and attractive employment opportunities; and new sources of renewable energy; and (b) Health and environmental benefits include those associated with the green manufacturing considerations explained in the proposal, and with the introduction of green renewable energy sources to reduce non-renewable energy consumption, global warming potential in the next 100 years (GWP100), and other environmental loads.