Printed Organic Photovoltaics: Disruptive Technology in a Great Energy Company

 

Presently in charge of the Organic and Hybrid Photovoltaics activities in the Research and Development Solar team in the TOTAL Gas and Power department.

 

Previously was an engineer at the CEA-Grenoble (France), scientist at EMPA-Duebendrof (Switzerland) and research associate at the MC-CAM -Mitsubishi Chemical Centre for Advanced Materials-UC Santa Barbara (USA). Holds a PhD in Chemistry from Durham University (UK).

Total has been active in solar energy since 1983 through its interests in two companies, Photovoltech and Tenesol. Photovoltech, in which Total holds a 50% interest alongside GDF-Suez, produces photovoltaic cells based on a crystalline silicon technology. Tenesol, in which Total holds a 50% stake alongside EDF, specializes in designing, manufacturing, marketing and operating photovoltaic solar energy systems.

 

In December 2008, Total became the largest shareholder in U.S. start-up Konarka, which develops products based on organic solar technologies. Total's stake is now nearly 25%.

It has alos acquired a 25.4% interest in U.S. startup AE Polysilicon Corporation (AEP), which has developed an advanced technology to produce polysilicon for photovoltaic panels.

Total is also conducting significant R&D through partnerships with world-class laboratories in France, such as the Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (LPICM - Interface and Thin Film Physics Laboratory) at the Ecole Polytechnique engineering school and the Toulouse-based Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems (LAAS), as well as in the United States, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and the UK.