Organic Photovoltaics: Where Are We Headed?

Organic photovoltaics (OPV) is an emerging technology that combines semi-transparency and flexibility in lightweight, ultrathin solar modules. The record power conversion efficiencies for OPV are approaching 20%, with reported lifetimes ranging from months to several years. Despite these attributes, OPV has not yet been commercialized on a large scale. Here, we critically examine the commercial potential of OPV. We begin by surveying feasibility studies in the literature to identify threshold values for performance that would enable OPV to be commercially competitive with conventional electricity production. We discuss how these parameters alone are not sufficient to predict the success of a photovoltaic technology, as there is still significant discrepancy between performance in the laboratory and in the field. Even if this gap can be closed, it is unlikely that OPV will ever compete in the conventional electricity market. Instead, the unique properties may make OPV an interesting candidate for niche applications with less rigid demands on performance, but stricter requirements on aesthetics, flexibility, weight, and transparency. In this case, application-specific requirements on efficiency and stability must first be established. Ultimately, even the most optimistic scenarios for OPV identify poor stability as the biggest challenge for general market entry.