Konarka’s next gen organic PV cells first OPV technology to pass TÜV Rheinland tests

LOWELL, USA: Konarka Technologies Inc., an innovator in development and commercialization of Konarka Power Plastic, a lightweight, flexible organic solar film that converts light to electricity, announced that Konarka’s next generation organic solar cells are the world’s first organic photovoltaic (OPV) which passed accelerated lifetime tests based on product aging criteria contained in the IEC 61646.

The testing was performed by TÜV Rheinland, a leading international test institution, in its Assessment Center in Cologne, Germany. These recent advances are based upon Konarka’s inverted cell architecture, the company’s proprietary intellectual property protected under issued patents.

“Successfully passing the IEC 61646 lifetime test by TÜV Rheinland is a world first and an enormous achievement for Konarka’s OPV cells,” commented Howard Berke, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Konarka. “While our thin-film solar technology has numerous characteristics that set it apart from crystalline silicon and other thin-film technologies, this TÜV certification brings our competitive differentiation to a new level while affirming the stability of OPV under the solar industry’s accelerated lifetime testing protocol. We are delighted that our partners can confidently and effectively integrate Konarka Power Plastic into their glass BIPV applications including curtain walls, windows and other building glass applications.”

The Assessment Center of TÜV Rheinland is the world's leading test lab which optimizes processes and modern testing and simulation facilities for proven quality and reliability according to national and international standards.

Thin, light weight, transparent and flexible, Power Plastic solar films are ideally suited for integration into various building materials, including glass, steel, plastics, composites and fabrics, offering creative architects and product designers superior, widespread latitude with several color and transparency options across a wide range of sizes enabled by Konarka’s roll-to-roll continuous manufacturing process.