The essential cost-driving factor for the production of classical photovoltaic devices is the expensive investment in costly semiconductor processing technologies. This unfavorable cost structure has so far prohibited the technology from having a significant impact on global energy production. Nevertheless, the continued high interest in photovoltaics originates from the fact that they represent the only truly portable renewable-energy conversion technology available today. Therefore, the potential of fabricating organic photovoltaic elements on low-cost, thin plastic substrates by standard printing and coating techniques and packaged by lamination is not only intriguing, but highly attractive from a cost standpoint. In this article, we discuss the economic and technical production aspects for organic photovoltaics.
