Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are an emerging thin film solar technology, based on organic semiconductors, that offer a promising alternative to conventional silicon solar. The advantages of OPVs include the potential for solution processability, low temperature manufacture, and tuneable absorption. The latter of these allows for semi-transparent OPVs (STOPVs), meaning visible light can be transmitted whilst electricity is still generated. STOPVs have huge potential for building integrated PV, power generating windows, and other architectural and industrial applications.

Here we will discuss our new project between the University of Manchester and Manchester based company Contra Vision to produce a printable, semi-transparent, large area OPV, for use as a power-generating window film. We will discuss the considerations required for industrial scale-up and how we have mitigated these for each layer in the OPV stack, such as cost, toxicity, and suitability for printing. Preliminary optical modelling will also be shown, alongside small-scale prototyping results exploring low temperature charge transport layers, dilute donor compositions, transparent electrodes, and initial blade-coating fabrication. Finally, future work will be outlined, including external collaborations towards larger scale printed prototypes.