Grant to advance solar cell work

AAP

UNIVERSITY of Queensland researchers say a $1.9 million state government grant will help them develop thin plastic solar cell technology that will one day power homes, mobile phones and even cars.

The team, involving researchers from Australia and the United States, are working on a three-year project to develop a special type of plastic that can capture the sun's energy.

The researchers say the benefit of plastic means solar technology can be shaped into more products, as opposed to being placed on top of products, which is what the current crystalline silicon cell technology requires.

Announcing the grant on Tuesday, Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser said the technology may be developed to the point where plastic solar cells could double as both a fuel source and a thin layer of window tinting on a car's windows.

He said while other possibilities were "limitless", some examples included using the plastic cells as roof sheeting or mobile phone covers.

"The international research team is exploring the potential for extremely thin layers of plastic, less than the width of a human hair," Mr Fraser said.

"The pay-off will be worth it. The organic cells market is estimated to be worth $300 million internationally by 2012, and Queensland will be in the driver's seat."

Professor Paul Burn from the University of Queensland's (UQ) Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics says the low cost of plastic solar cells means they will also have great commercial potential.

"One kilowatt costs about $8,000 to put on your roof from a standard (silicon solar cell) supplier - (plastic solar cells) will be about $1,000 per kilowatt," he said.

Associate Professor Paul Meredith said the best commercially available silicon solar cells had efficiencies of about 10 to 20 per cent and paid off after about 10 years of power generation.

With the new plastic technology, a customer would take only about five years to recoup their initial outlay, he estimated.

Prof Meredith agreed there was no reason why the technology couldn't develop to the point where it powered a car on its own.

"With the right battery technology, yes, because of the flexibility and lightness and the ability to integrate these things into fabric and machinery, it's very much well-suited to solar powering cars," he said.