In a clear signal of how versatile and future-proof our industry is, Amcor has signed a memorandum of understanding with UK innovator Power Roll. Power Roll clims to be “leading technology disruptor in the flexible PV (PhotoVoltaic) market” has developed a way to print solar panels in volume.
Printing technologies drove the IT revolution (PCBs), is driving the AI phenomenum and has started to drive the renewable power industry. We are indebted to our UK colleague Gareth Ward of www.printbusiness.co.uk for spotting Amcor's latest move into solar power.
Amcor and PowerRoll will now work to develop a light weight photovoltaic film as a low cost and fast to install alternative to rigid silicon based solar panels.
Power Roll is a development business located at Seaham in County Durham, UK. It has developed a technology using microgrooves in a flexible plastic sheet which can then carry an ink based on perovskite materials. These are readily available minerals that can convert solar energy into electricity. The technology is suited to a roll to roll manufacturing process.
This is where Amcor sees an opportunity to leverage its flexible packaging experience along with knowledge of laminating films. Technical films like this are considered a growth opportunity for the future. Nor is the first investment in the early stage development of photovoltaics. It has used barrier film technologies and roll to roll processes to produce solar panels.
The Power Roll technology promises to be low cost to manufacture in volume, something that could have a substantial impact on growing the use of solar energy worldwide. Amcor VP of corporate venturing and open innovation Frank Lehmann says: “The innovative solar film technology developed by Power Roll has the potential to revolutionise the solar energy industry, providing ultra low cost green electricity on a global scale.
“Through its partnership with Amcor, we are confident that Power Roll will continue to contribute significantly to the global transition towards net zero.”
The lightweight nature of the film opens up opportunities across roof tops and other spaces where conventional panels are too heavy for practical use. This is a point that Power Roll chief executive Neil Spann stresses: “We are delighted by the support we have received from Amcor, which will allow us to accelerate our growth and expand our impact. With one in three commercial rooftops unable to handle the weight of traditional solar panels, equivalent to 12 billion square metres globally, our mission is to lead a global rooftop solar revolution, starting here in County Durham, UK.
“The need for low cost clean energy has never been greater and Power Roll offers a solution by leveraging these under utilised rooftops where conventional heavy and rigid silicon panels cannot be deployed as well as many other applications.”
Amcor Ventures takes stakes in what it considers to be disruptive technologies and business with a long term view. It is previously take a stake in printed electronics business Pragmatic for its NFC and integrated circuit technology.
Power Roll is not alone in chasing roll to roll production for PV units. There is work emanating from Australia while Specific is a start up associated with Swansea University that uses screen printing to produce rigid panels and claims to be the first to produce flexible panels on a roll to roll system.
The reference to Australia is of course Dr Paul Dastoor's work at the University of Newcastle's Faculty of Science. It was previewed outside the Hall of PacPrint 2017 in Melbourne.
The University of Newcastle renewable energy tech - an ultra light-weight, ultra flexible, recyclable and cheap to manufacture solar flexible film, already powers interactive public lighting in Sydney. The material, similar in thickness and appearance to a chip packet, is manufactured using conventional printers and was trialled in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove (see image below).
