This document discusses the potential for flexible solar cells integrated into textiles and fabrics. It notes that solar energy is an inexhaustible, cost-free, and eco-friendly resource that can replace fossil fuels. Flexible solar cells could overcome the drawbacks of rigid solar panels by being easily adaptable and woven into fabrics. The document explores two approaches for creating flexible solar cells: using inorganic or organic photovoltaic technologies. Potential applications include integrating the solar cells into clothing, tents, and other fabrics to provide electricity. More research is still needed to improve efficiency and lower costs before these flexible solar cell textiles can be practically manufactured.

1.  RAJKUMAR. R. SHINKAR
 VIBHAV. H. BHIDE

2. Inexhaustible source of
energy.
Cost free resource.
Eco friendly.
Purest form of power.
Replacement option for the
fossil
fuels in near future.
Available on every part of
earth.

3. • Manufacturing of flexible
solar cells possible.
• Properties of textile and
working principle of solar
cell together.
• EAT (electricity any time).
• Infinite scope of
applications.
• Overcome the drawbacks of
huge and costly solar
panels.
• Easily adaptable.
Fig. Solar cell textiles

4. 1. Using Photovoltaic Technology (Inorganic
Semiconductors).
2. Using Organic Photovoltaic Technology (Organic Semi-
Conductors).
Fig. Flexible organic solar cell
Fig. Embedded inorganic solar cells

5. • High efficiency compared to
organic cells.
• Integration of these solar cells
into apparels and fabrics.
• Low maintenance costs.
• Traditional inorganic solar cells
are rigid and therefore
embedded into textiles.
• Flexible inorganic solar cells are
expensive than organic solar
cells.
Fig. An example of patterned polymer solar cells incorporated into
clothing by sewing through the polymer solar cell foil using an ordinary
sewing machine.

6. • Fibres are produced and woven in the fabrics.
• Though less efficient ideal for practical solar cell fabrics.
• Organic photo voltaics have attracted attention due to the
significant progress in cell efficiency by 5%.
• Favourable features such as flexibility, lightness, cost-
effectiveness and usage performance
Fig. Schematic diagram of a photovoltaic fibre

7.  Rigid substrates, such as glass (For conventional).
 Flexible Substance like polypropylene fibre (For modern).
 Transparent conductive bottom electrode eg. Indium Tin
Oxide (ITO).
 Poly (3,4ethylenedioxythiophene: poly(styrene sulfonic
acid) (PEDOT:PSS).
 An organic photoactive layer
 Metal electrode.
Fig. Chemical structure of PEDOT:PSS

8. • Preparation of substrate(polypropylene filament) of
diameter 0.59mm and length 5cm.
• Cleaning of industrial and environmental
contaminants with isopropanol, methanol, distilled
water and dried in hydrogen flow .
• Preparation of PEDOT:PSS layer as anode.
Fig. Woven organic solar cells
Fig. Schematic diagram of organic solar cell
fibre

9. • Preparation of photoactive materials i.e. combination of
P3HT : PCBM or combination of MDMO-PPV : PCBM
CHEMICAL STRUCTURES
(b). P3HT (c). MDMO-PPV
(d). PCBM

10. • Last layer is a conductive metal electrode.
• Metal electrode could be of Aluminium or Lithium
Fluoride.
Fig. Possible industrial Manufacturing

11. 1. APPARELS:
• Shirts , jackets and trousers with
embedded cells are possible.
• fabrics could be woven using
organic solar cell fibres.
Fig. Charging of a cell phone by a solar fabric
Fig. solar cell woven into fabrics Fig. Strap of fibres

12. General Applications:
• Soldier uniforms and marine fabrics.
• Tents for campers and trekkers.
• Replacement for solar panels as they are huge and
heavy.
• Using lanterns made up of solar fabrics in Diwali to
save electricity.
Fig. military uniforms fig. Solar cell tent

13. 1. Silicon p-i-n fibres (Inorganic photo voltaics)
• Fabricated by HPCVD (High Pressure Chemical Vapour
Deposition) i.e. fabrication of a semiconductor via
drawing.
• We can exploit meters long p-i-n junctions it will be
necessary to develop long, parallel in-fibre wire
electrodes configured to reduce the series resistance.
• By this we can also use inorganic
materials to build solar textiles
e.g. silicon.
Fig. optical micrograph of a representative
Si p-i-n junction

14. 2.Dye synthesized solar cells (DSC) :
• Both silica and plastic optical fibres are used as a
Substrate.
• Fiber converts light modes propagating in the modified
cladding into electrical signal.
• The light here is absorbed by the dye.
• Low-cost materials, wide range
Fig. PV optical fiber based on the DSC
technique.
of applications and simple
manufacturing process make
nanostructured dye-sensitized
solar cells (DSC) a potential
alternative to the traditional
silicon and thin film PV devices.

15. 3. Photovoltaic textile structure using polyaniline/carbon
nanotube composite materials
• CNT’s have unique mechanical, thermal, electrical,
electronic, and optical properties, which make them being
widely studied as fillers in polymeric composites to improve
electrical, mechanical, and physical properties of materials.
• Carbon nanotubes as bottom electrode of organic solar cells
which acts as anode.
• Replacement of indium tin oxide (ITO)
layer due to it’s high cost, low
flexibility and difficult processing.
Fig. calcined TiO2 on CNT

16. • The global trend for renewable source of energy is
increasing…
• Great scope in the near future due to the wide and
effective application spectrum.
• More studies are required to design and perform for a
working photovoltaic fiber.
• If brought into practical manufacturing a boon to the
mankind.
• Can prove itself by being a great functional aspect of
textiles.

17. 1. Solar Cells - New Aspects and Solutions Edited by Prof. Leonid
A. Kosyachenko, chapter 9.Progress in Organic Photovoltaic
Fibers Research.
2. Günes, S., Beugebauer, H., and Sariciftci, N. S., Conjugated
Polymer-based Organic Solar Cells, Chem. Rev., 107, 1324–1338
(2007).
3. Brabec, C. J., Dyakonov, V., Parisi, J., and Sariciftci, N. S.,
“Organic Photovoltaics Concepts and Realization”, 1st edn,
Springer, New York, 2003.
4. Berson, S., de Bettignies, R., Bailly, S., and Guillerez S., Poly(3-
hexylthiophene) Fibers for Photovoltaic Applications, Adv. Funct.
Mater., 17, 1377–1384 (2007).
5. Gonzalez, R., and Pinto, N. J., Electrospun poly(3-
hexylthiophene- 2,5-diyl) Fiber Field Effect Transistor, Synthetic
Metals, 151, 275–278 (2005).
6. Mattila, H. (eds), “Intelligent Textiles and Clothing”, 1st edn,
Wood head Publishing Limited, England, 2006.
7. Schubert, M. B., and Werner, J. H., Flexible Solar Cells for

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