A group of scientists from Sweden’s Linköping University and China have jointly developed a new kind of organic PV cell which is capable of generating power indoors, with a conversion rate topping 26%.

The cell consists of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) and polymer IO-4C1, which were blended together to create a special active layer that can absorb the lights of various indoor venues. This includes venues like living rooms, libraries, and supermarkets. The NFAs can halve the energy loss resulting from charge separation to greatly boost the PV cells’ overall conversion rate.

The organic PV cells currently come in two sizes: the first one, which measures around one square centimeter, has a conversion rate of around 26.1% when exposed to an illumination intensity of 1,000. The second one is around four square centimeters in size, and has a conversion rate of approximately 23%.

The organic PV cells are currently being optimized so that they can be ready for use in commercial and day-to-day applications, such as the charging of mobile phones and home appliances. The result of the team’s study and findings can be found in the journal, “Nature Energy” .

(Collaborative media: TechNews, photo courtesy of Linköping University)