ORAIN. Sustainable ORganic Photovoltaics for INnovative Applications

The ORAIN project aims to develop an innovative photovoltaic technology based on non-toxic, sustainable polymeric organic materials with high power conversion efficiency. These photovoltaic modules will be lightweight, flexible, and adaptable to various applications where conventional panels face limitations. The project will cover everything from material selection to the manufacturing of scalable prototypes, ensuring durability and stability through testing in different environmental conditions. Additionally, efforts will focus on optimizing production to make it compatible with industrial processes and assessing its environmental impact through life cycle evaluations.

Thanks to their versatility and sustainability, the photovoltaic modules developed in ORAIN can be integrated into applications such as agrivoltaics, greenhouses, curved architectural surfaces, indoor installations, electric vehicles, and IoT. The project is structured into five work packages, addressing key aspects such as device design and manufacturing, characterization, stability, and industrial feasibility. Beyond driving the green transition and electrification of strategic sectors, ORAIN will foster new business opportunities by industrializing this technology in Navarra, aligning with the European strategy for renewable energy reindustrialization.

CENER will play a key role in the ORAIN project, leading various activities related to the development and scaling of organic photovoltaic modules. It will participate in assessing the state of the technology and the fabrication of cells and modules, focusing on the optimization of substrate texturization to enhance light trapping. Additionally, it will carry out the scaling of cells into functional modules, addressing aspects such as cell interconnection, selection of materials for lamination, and continuous manufacturing. CENER will also conduct functional characterization studies, as well as stability and lifetime assessments of the devices, following ISOS and IEC protocols, and will validate the modules in operational environments. Finally, it will analyze the economic and industrial feasibility of the technology, including a roadmap for its manufacturing in Navarra, thus contributing to the energy transition and the development of new opportunities in the photovoltaic sector.