Centre for Plastic Electronics

Harnessing acoustic vibrations boosts solar cell efficiency

UK researchers have shown how solar cell efficiency can be boosted by up to 50% by harnessing acoustic vibrations in the environment, including those caused by roof-top machinery, traffic and even pop music.

Structural energy storage improves energy use

A revolutionary concept for lightweight structural energy storage components that could improve the energy usage of future electrified vehicles.

Volvo Car Group makes conventional batteries a thing of the past

Volvo Car Group has developed a revolutionary concept for lightweight structural energy storage components that could improve the energy usage of future electrified vehicles.

Supercapacitors increase range of electric vehicles

Supercapacitors are increasing the range of electric vehicles in several ways and by doing so they are hugely increasing the addressable market for those vehicles. Typically, they last for the life of the vehicle regardless of how many cycles are endured.

Improvement in the performance of plastic solar cells

Scientists have spent decades trying to build flexible plastic solar cells efficient enough to compete with conventional cells made of silicon.

Disorder improves performance of plastic solar cells

Scientists have spent decades trying to build flexible plastic solar cells efficient enough to compete with conventional cells made of silicon.

New record efficiency for dye solar cells

This independently certified efficiency result eclipses all previous certified public records and is now the official world-record for Dye Solar Cell technology performance.

Will graphene supercapacitors be the best?

Questions arise as to how much supercapacitors can improve if organisations more like NASA took over. After all, if supercapacitors can replace many batteries when, as today, they store one tenth of their energy, what will happen in the marketplace if they approach the theoretical ten times the lithium-ion battery figure while acting as a near-perfect "battery"?

Opportunities for power electronics in electric vehicles

The day is coming when electric vehicles (EVs) land, water and airborne are as much as 80% electronics and electrics if we include the power components.

A new low cost tool for 3D circuit printing?

As a proof of concept the team have shown how the combination of heat and low intensity visible and UV light could in future be used as a precise, low cost tool for 3D printing of self-assembling, thin-film circuits on these films.

IDTechEx Printed Electronics Europe 2013 Award Winners

The annual printed electronics award winners were announced at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics event this week in Berlin, Germany.

IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensor Networks Awards 2013

The winners of the IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensor Networks Awards were announced at the 5th annual conference and exhibition in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday the 17th of April during the keynote sessions.

Solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon

Bringing the concept of an "artificial leaf" closer to reality, a team of researchers at MIT has published a detailed analysis of all the factors that could limit the efficiency of such a system.

All eyes on Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors (ultracapacitors) are now center stage for designers of electronics and particularly power circuits. This is because they are improving faster than the batteries and electrolytic capacitors they increasingly replace. More subtly, they reduce the need for and danger from lithium-ion batteries. For example, when placed across a rechargeable battery, they protect it from fast charging and discharging and allow more of the energy in the battery to be utilised. Learn more ...

Energy Harvesting Network one-day dissemination

The Energy Harvesting Network is holding its annual one-day dissemination event on 25th March 2013 at Hamilton House, London.

Multi-junction solar cell to break efficiency barrier

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists in the Electronics Technology and Science Division, in collaboration with the Imperial College London and MicroLink Devices, Inc., Niles, Ill., have proposed a novel triple-junction solar cell with the potential to break the 50 percent conversion efficiency barrier, which is the current goal in multi-junction photovoltaic development.

New research grants to enhance the use of wonder material

Research projects that will focus on how to enhance the 'manufacturability' of graphene, one of the thinnest, strongest and most conductive materials known to man, are to receive £21.5 million in funding.

Cambridge winner of government funding to research 'super material'

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have been awarded £12 million to aid their research into graphene - a material scientists claim has unparalleled capabilities.

IDTechEx Printed Electronics USA 2012 award winners

The annual printed electronics award winners were announced at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics event this week in Santa Clara, California - the World's largest event on the topic.