Heliatek, a German company, has developed a new type of flexible solar panel that uses materials and manufacturing processes very similar to those used in OLED displays. These panels, built from organic molecules deposited on polyester films can be transparent, which makes them suitable for application on window glass. Because they are thin and light enough to not be necessary to make major modifications to existing windows, you may become a viable alternative to traditional solar panels.

The generation of electricity from solar energy is a reality. Millions of people have small panels installed on roofs or terraces of their houses, and several countries (including Spain) have invested enough money in this technology for solar power plants are built. Still a long way to go, but at least we have begun to walk. Now, a German start-up has just developed a new type of solar panel based on organic molecules deposited on polyester films, a very similar technology which allows for OLED screens, very thin and light, which can also be transparent. This makes them especially suitable for application on window panes, making energy collectors without losing their original functions. Its performance is good enough so they can generate the same amount of electricity than a conventional solar panel.



The company in question is Heliatek, which is based in Dresden and gets its funding-about 28 million euros so far, from giants such as Bosch and BASF. It is making the new panels in small quantities, and hope to get another 60 million euros to build a new plant with greater capacity. Today, and especially manufactured in relatively small amounts, Heliatek panels are somewhat more expensive than conventional solar panels, but they are produced in larger quantities would lower the cost enough to the cost per watt generated is even less than that of a traditional panel. Thibaud de Séguillon, CEO of the company, believes that despite its high initial cost be able to sell enough of these panels as Heliatek to survive long enough to build the new plant and lower their prices. They bet on the advantages that give its light weight, flexibility and, above all, transparency. We also know that they are working with a construction company to integrate these solar panels on concrete blocks for the facades of buildings.



But the big bet is the incorporation of these panels in the windows. "It's like having tinted windows, only that they generate electricity," says Séguillon, which emphasizes that this system saves the cost to have the necessary hardware to secure traditional panels on a roof or terrace. A panel of Heliatek converts the 8 percent of the light energy into electricity, making them somewhat better than those polymers based solar panels (having from 3% to 5% efficiency), but lower than the classical silicon solar panels that use between 14% and 15% of light to electricity.

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