Indoor Organic Photovoltaic LABoratory – IOPV-LAB

Over the last 5 years, the notion of "energy harvesting" in indoor lighting conditions has attracted increasing attention, motivated by the spectacular increase in the number of communicating objects (IoT) in our lives. For the power supply needs of IoTs, light harvesting in an indoor environment is a very interesting approach that will, in combination with an electricity storage element such as a supercapacitor, make these IoTs energy self-sufficient. The IOPV-LAB (Indoor Organic Photovoltaic LABoratory) will be dedicated to researches in the field of organic solar cells (OSCs) printed by the inkjet deposition technique. The creation of the IOPV-LAB will bring together two CINaM research teams internationally recognized for their expertise in the field of organic photovoltaics (OPV) and the company DRACULA TECHNOLOGIES (DT) to lift together the technical barriers to the development of OPV modules dedicated to indoor (IOPV). The objective of the IOPV-LAB will be to develop OPV technology with a low environmental footprint, using low-cost materials compatible with a digital printing process using green solvents, and producing power with photovoltaic parameters (Vmax, Jmax) suitable for powering IoT components under indoor lighting. The scientific program of the IOPVLAB thus consists in responding to the technological obstacles identified by DT to accelerate the commercialization of IOPV modules over the next 5 years but also to develop new knowledges allowing scientific opportunities towards other applications and/or approaches based on materials with a low environmental footprint. The first objective of the research program is dedicated to the integration of new Non-Fullerene Acceptor (NFA) materials in the manufacturing of inkjet OSCs, using green ink formulations optimized in terms of efficiency and environmental footprint. The second objective of the research program addresses the issue of applicable standards to determine the performance and stability of OSCs in an indoor environment, with the development of indoor PV benchmark systems, which will represent a crucial innovation in the IOPV field and will be a reference in the community. The third line of research will be dedicated to the manufacturing of inkjet OSCs, stable in a calibrated indoor environment, allowing the power supply of an IoT object with an adapted power for 10 years.