Power Up Your Products
with G24i's Solar Technology

15 March 2008

On a bright day, the sun provides approximately 1000 watts of energy per square metre of the earth’s surface, easily enough energy, if it could be harnessed, to power our homes and offices for free. The solar revolution has been on the horizon for almost 25 years. So why is it not yet here? As always, the answer comes down to money; the high set-up costs typically necessitated a long-term investment to provide cost savings compared with the use of fossil fuels. This is about to change, and Welsh company G24 Innovations (G24i) is playing its part in bringing about the revolution.

Solar cells, such as those commonly seen on calculators, are photovoltaic cells, which convert light into electricity. They are made of semiconductors, principally silicon. However, silicon wafers are fragile and difficult to manufacture and therefore hard to integrate into new products. Furthermore, worldwide demand for silicon for semiconductor manufacture is so high that supply is not guaranteed and the price is volatile.

G24 Innovations (G24i) has combined innovative material science and nanotechnology to generate renewable power in a process that imitates nature’s photosynthesis to convert the energy of sunlight into electricity. Building on 18 years of research and development, the company late last year became the first in the world to produce commercial-grade dye-sensitised thin film cells. Dye-sensitised thin film is based on a semiconductor formed between a photosensitised anode and an electrolyte, a photoelectrochemical system.

The cells do not contain silicon, are extremely lightweight and durable, and are unique in that the thin film produces electricity in low-light and even indoor conditions. As a result, the cells are capable of providing more electricity than even highly efficient traditional solar cells, which operate at optimum levels for only a few hours on a sunny day. Dye-sensitised thin film is ideal for integration or embedding into a wide array of other products such as light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting, tenting systems and indoor and outdoor building materials – which would otherwise need electricity supplied from battery or mains power.

Combined with the company’s proprietary ‘roll-to-roll’ manufacturing process, which completes all manufacturing steps in an automated, continuous process and can transform a lightweight roll of metal foil into a half-mile-long 100-lb roll of dye-sensitised thin film in less than three hours, the technology makes solar power a viable energy option for a range of new geographies and industries.

The developing world

More than 2 billion people in the developing world have no access to a reliable source of electricity. Eighty per cent of these people live in India and sub-Saharan Africa. At present, a person living in one of these countries who has a mobile phone but no electricity has very limited options, and would either need to travel to a place where they could pay to recharge their phone, or charge the phone using a battery. As economies grow, access to mobile telephony will be a critical factor, and the opportunities for telecommunications companies are vast.

G24i has developed a unique solar mobile phone charger which is aimed at the developing world, providing a simple, convenient and cost-effective means of keeping these devices powered. Other applications relevant to the developing world include powering water purification systems, radios and refrigerators.

The developed world

DST cells may one day serve as an alternative to fossil fuel electricity generation, but they also offer other significant advantages. For example, field personnel who use large numbers of batteries to power various electronic devices need no longer be burdened by their additional weight as G24i’s new solar cells, when used in recharging devices, provide enhanced mobility and added flexibility.

Other potential applications include intelligent garments that can charge batteries silently and in low light or artificial light, including high-visibility jackets or jackets with GPS, and flexible charging systems for sensors, surveillance, satellite telephones, emergency lighting, signage and other critical systems used by police officers and other first responders. The list is endless.

Recognition

G24i was recently recognised at the inaugural Rushlight Awards in London as having the greatest potential for ‘the largest impact in improving the environment’. The Rushlight Awards recognize and celebrate the significant achievements of UK and Irish technology, innovation and commerce in helping to address the key issues of climate change, waste and pollution management. G24i picked up the evening’s headline award – The NESTA Rushlight Award – given to the company that overall is considered to have made the greatest contribution to environmental issues.