Konarka’s Paradigm-shifting Technology
Superior Thermal Coefficient
Unlike silicon and other solar technologies, Konarka Power Plastic collects energy from nearly sunrise to sunset outperforming its competitors.
Off-Axis

Konarka is recognized throughout the world as a leader in OPV (organic photovoltaic) technology – a 3rd generation solar technology that is rapidly emerging to compete with silicon based 1st and 2nd generation solar technologies. The company holds over 350 patents and filings covering every aspect of our proprietary chemistry and processes.  Our current research efforts are exploring exciting new OPV chemistries as well as advances to our existing technology that will produce greater power output at a lower cost. 

At the heart of Konarka’s technology is a photo-reactive polymer material invented by Konarka co-founder and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Alan Heeger.  This proprietary material can be printed or coated inexpensively onto flexible substrates using roll-to-roll manufacturing, similar to the way newspaper is printed on large rolls of paper.  The resulting Power Plastic can then be manufactured into a wide range of end-use products.

Konarka’s Power Plastic offers several advances over other OPV technologies:

Tunable Cell Chemistry
Power Plastic’s tunable cell chemistry can absorb specific wavelengths of light – as well as broad spectrum
Both Indoor and Outdoor
Konarka Power Plastic converts light to energy whether that light is from the sun or a lightbulb enabling it to work both indoors and outdoors.
Uses All Recyclable Materials
Power Plastic is the only thin-film photovoltaic technology that uses all recyclable materials

Power Plastic is thin, light-weight and flexible

Power Plastic is comprised of several thin layers:  a photo-reactive printed layer, a transparent electrode layer, a plastic substrate and a protective packaging layer. Power Plastic can be manufactured up to 60” wide in virtually any length – and panels can be combined for greater power output.  Click here to learn more about Power Plastic’s material characteristics.

Cross-sectional Representation:
Power Plastic Layers: