News

“It is difference of opinion that makes horse races,” said Mark Twain. But what’s the leading opinion on whether photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are really the ecological and economical solution they are cracked up to be? Here, Dr Franky So, chief technology officer of Nextgen Nano, reveals a new technology that’s entered the race and could undertake […]

New research claims that, in the race against climate change, the renewable energy industry must embrace the circular economy. Matthew Stone of NextGen Nano, explains how energy companies can overcome this obstacle.   By 2050, the European Union (EU) aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 per cent, compared with levels recorded in […]

A team of researchers from organic photovoltaic cell development company Nextgen Nano has discovered a means of producing organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that demonstrate high luminosity at lower voltages. The findings, published in Nature Communications, will lay the groundwork for efficient high-performance OLED devices in the future and may change future approaches to organic semiconductor […]

Leveraging specially crafted organic molecules with a large singlet-triplet splitting, researchers from North Carolina State University demonstrated blue OLED chemistries able to form triplet excitons via direct charge injection.   Through subsequent triplet fusion, this allows the organic molecules to become electroluminescent below bandgap voltages, close to their triplet energy, yielding OLEDs operating with a […]

25 years after the first practical electric car was developed, the electric vehicle (EV) market is booming. January 2019 saw the number of EVs sold in the UK increase 110% from the previous year, and Ireland saw a 500% growth. UK-based Nextgen Nano says its nanotechnology could facilitate the surging demand for power for EVs. […]

New research claims that, in the race against climate change, the renewable energy industry must embrace the circular economy. Failure to do so will result in a shortage of the rare materials used to create solar panels and wind turbines, as well as electric cars and consumer electronics. Here, Matthew Stone, commercialisation director at organic […]

There is a third generation of solar cells made from organometallic compounds. While projects are still largely in the development phases, there has been a lot of investment recently into how to build a highly efficient organic cell at relatively low cost. The ‘organic’ nature of the cells relates to the use of carbon materials […]

A new technological breakthrough could change the way we power electric cars. New polymer-based flexible solar panels could eventually cover the outside of your vehicle, allowing it to charge as you drive. This significant breakthrough could have wide repercussions on how we power a range of technologies. Here, Dr Franky So, inventor and chief technology […]

A new technological breakthrough could change the way we power electric cars. New polymer-based flexible solar panels could eventually cover the outside of your vehicle, allowing it to charge as you drive. This significant breakthrough could have wide repercussions on how we power a range of technologies. Here, Dr Franky So, inventor and chief technology […]

In October 2018, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Global Warming at 1.5 degrees report. The landmark report highlighted the need for businesses and governments to act immediately to reverse the human impact on climate change. Here, Matthew Stone at organic polymer solar cell producer NextGen Nano, explains why this […]

Researchers from universities around the world are attempting to improve the efficiency of solar cells using organic materials. Scientists in China and the UK have developed carbon and plastic-manufactured polymer cells, while Canadian researchers have looked into using bacteria to convert light to energy, taking techniques from natural photosynthesis. How have alternatives to traditional solar […]

This week Amazon announced new recycling and green energy initiatives across the US and UK, including an investment into the Closed Loop Fund and a solar energy project. The tech giant has invested $10mn in the Closed Loop Fund, a recycling project which invests in the Circular Economy, to help improve recycling infrastructure in the […]

Almost 8,000km from Beijing, Canadian researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have designed ‘biogenic’ solar cells – using E.coli bacteria to transfer light to energy – which is said to work efficiently even in dim light conditions. UBC scientists led by Vikramaditya Yadav, professor at the department of chemical and biological engineering, discovered […]

Across the world, chemical and bio-engineering scientists are developing innovative ways to produce organic solar cells with increased efficiency. In China, researchers from Nankai University and the South China University of Technology have teamed up with the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology in Beijing to co-develop organic PVs made from carbon and plastic. The […]

There is a third generation of solar cells made from organometallic compounds. While projects are still largely in the development phases, there has been a lot of investment recently into how to build a highly efficient organic cell at relatively low cost. The ‘organic’ nature of the cells relates to the use of carbon materials […]

A team made up of some of the world’s foremost energy scientists says it has developed technology enabling electric vehicles to greatly increase their solar energy efficiency, decreasing their reliance on fuel or electricity. A new highly efficient solar cell known as PolyPower has been developed from a combination of environmentally-friendly, non-toxic organic materials and […]

In October 2018, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Global Warming at 1.5 degrees report. The landmark report highlighted the need for businesses and governments to act immediately to reverse the human impact on climate change. Here, Matthew Stone at organic polymer solar cell producer NextGen Nano, explains why this […]

A team of scientists based at the Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices has integrated a silicon solar cell …

Scientists from the Imperial College London, Monash University, CSIRO, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have …

While organic solar cells are inexpensive and a versatile alternative to inorganic solar cells, they also feature low efficiencies and limited lifetimes that currently …

Unlike traditional silicon solar cells, organic polymer solar cells (PSCs) may never cover the hillsides of a megawatt solar farm. But, these lightweight, flexible …