Photovoltaic Paint

This programme assesses the feasibility of applying photovoltaic paint directly to product surfaces during the manufacturing process. The result will be seamlessly integrated photovoltaic elements which generate clean electricity (zero carbon emissions) at the point-of-use of the product. Not only will this enable more sustainable applications but it will also enable applications where automatic battery charging, reliability and mobility are critically important. The research is transformative because it will define a new manufacturing sub-field: product integrated photovoltaics (PIPV) which crosses sectors and length scales and therefore has strong disruptive potential.

This programme assesses the feasibility of applying photovoltaic paint to product surfaces during manufacture to create compelling, new products with significant added value. In addition to defining the new manufacturing sub-field of product integrated photovoltaics (PIPV), it crosses sectors and length scales and will therefore have strong impact. This impact can be categorised as industrial, societal and academic and these are summarised as follows.

INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Enabling sustainability applications is an important outcome from the proposed manufacturing process innovation and to that end, several key industrial players spanning automotive and construction sectors are closely involved in the programme. Engagement with these players will provide key criteria for promising applications such as completely integrated and essentially invisible PV vehicle panels which are manufactured cost-effectively and in situ on an automotive production line. These panels will reduce range anxiety and thereby enable the transition to zero carbon (emissions) vehicles. Similarly in the construction sector, commercialisation of the photovoltaic paint concept will enable the UK to take the lead in a new kind of high-value manufacturing which relies on high-level knowledge and skills. The industrial impact extends well beyond sustainability applications however, and relationships with employer and manufacturing networks will be leveraged to identify opportunities in consumer products and healthcare.

SOCIETAL IMPACT
Two key impact activities built into the programme are engagement with school pupils and the public. The former will be achieved through my institution's official outreach programme NUSTEM, and an important aim is to work with school pupils to develop their understanding of the link between science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects and manufacturing. This will introduce the concept of innovation as a discipline and promote compelling case studies highlighting the benefits to the UK of high value manufacturing. Impact activities with the public will occur via national science fairs and events using interactive manufacturing demonstrators which bring the benefits of photovoltaic paint to life.

ACADEMIC IMPACT
The definition of the new manufacturing sub-field of PIPV is transformative and will stimulate global research efforts to address the most challenging problems identified in the programme. The impact will be achieved by dissemination at prestigious national and international conferences as well as leading peer-reviewed journals. More broadly, membership of and engagement with key EPSRC energy networks will create additional opportunities to develop new collaborations and connect UK energy materials and manufacturing communities. The involvement of a PDRA in the programme creates a unique opportunity for an individual to work at the interface between disciplines and gain industrially relevant experience to the strong benefit of their career.