Stability And Degradation Of Organic And Polymer Solar Cells

Organic photovoltaics (OPV) are a new generation of solar cells with the potential to offer very short energy pay back times, mechanical flexibility and significantly lower production costs compared to traditional crystalline photovoltaic systems. A weakness of OPV is their comparative instability during operation and this is a critical area of research towards the successful development and commercialization of these 3rd generation solar cells.
Covering both small molecule and polymer solar cells, Stability and Degradation of Organic and Polymer Solar Cells summarizes the state of the art understanding of stability and provides a detailed analysis of the mechanisms by which degradation occurs. Following an introductory chapter which compares different photovoltaic technologies, the book focuses on OPV degradation, discussing the origin and characterization of the instability and describing measures for extending the duration of operation.
Topics covered include:

* Chemical and physical probes for studying degradation
* Imaging techniques
* Photochemical stability of OPV materials
* Degradation mechanisms
* Testing methods
* Barrier technology and applications

Stability and Degradation of Organic and Polymer Solar Cells is an essential reference source for researchers in academia and industry, engineers and manufacturers working on OPV design, development and implementation.

Professor Frederik Krebs is based at the Riso National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy in Denmark where he is part of the Solar Energy Program. The aim of the program is to synthesize new materials for light harvesting and to optimize the structure of the solar cell with regards to energy conversion, stability and cost.
Professor Krebs has been working in the field of polymer solar cells for over 10 years, focusing his efforts on the materials, manufacture and stability of solar cells. His research group are international pioneers, leading the way in their work on organic and polymeric solar cells. He has authored more than 200 publications, has written 2 books on organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and has hosted a conference on the stability of polymer solar cells (ISOS-3 International Summit on OPV Stabilty). He has also edited many journal special issues on organic photovoltaics, including one dedicated to their stability. In 2009, Professor Krebs received the Carlsberg Energy Research Prize in recognition of his work in polymer solar cells.