Cheaper, more efficient photovoltaics with improved aesthetics and form factors are required to enable further mainstream adoption of renewable energy in domestic and commercial environments. However, this requires a step change in the materials, device architectures and processing techniques employed, a capability that is currently unmet within the industry.

In the LONG HBAR project, Polysolar Ltd leads a consortium of world-renowned academics and industry partners, spanning the entire supply chain from the development of new materials, the scale up and integration of the materials into novel device architectures to installation and grid deployment.

The consortium will leverage a new class of photoactive materials and commercially ubiquitous processing techniques with cutting edge design, to introduce lightweight, conformable, affordable, flexible and efficient solar cells with low embedded energy costs, while also expanding the knowledge, capability and visibility of these global businesses and the UK research base.

As an enabler for a lower carbon future it is envisaged that initial applications for this new technology will be in automotive and architectural glass, providing an enhancement for electric vehicles and greener, self-sufficient buildings. The project will deliver inward investment opportunities and strengthen UK capability in 3rd generation photovoltaics by integrating new materials into existing lightweight photovoltaic technologies and developing knowledge to deliver a new UK supply chain at a globally significant scale for cost competitive renewable energy.