The ENLIGHTENED project focuses on advancing the potential of photovoltaic technology for low-power, low-light applications by demonstrating the viability and potential of Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) -based Light Energy Harvesting (LEH) technology. This initiative aims to meet the power and energy requirements of a diverse range of customers, including those in the retail, property technology, and consumer electronics sectors.
Currently, most Internet of Things (IoT) devices and low-power consumer electronics are powered by primary, non-rechargeable batteries. These batteries require periodic replacement and maintenance due to their relatively short lifespans as power sources. With the rapid advancement of IoT ecosystems for smart homes, offices, factories, and retail settings, it’s estimated that by 2027, 30 billion IoT devices will be in use. Powering such a vast number of IoT devices solely through primary batteries is unsustainable from environmental, resource, safety, and cost perspectives.
Energy harvesting technology has the potential to address these issues by enabling self-sufficient, autonomous, low-power solutions for IoT electronics through the capture of available unused energy. One promising method for energy harvesting is light energy harvesting (LEH), which uses photovoltaic technology to convert ambient indoor light into power. This technology can generate energy even under low-light indoor conditions, making it ideal for IoT applications.
Within this category of photovoltaic devices, organic photovoltaics (OPV) present several inherent advantages over traditional inorganic silicon photovoltaics. OPVs are lightweight, flexible, and capable of solution-based processing, which allows for cost-effective, large-area manufacturing. Furthermore, OPVs are well-suited for indoor light environments as they can convert weak indoor light into electricity more efficiently than other photovoltaic technologies. Their spectral tunability and high optical absorptivity, coupled with low leakage currents, minimize power losses and improve the fill factor, especially under low-light intensities.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.