Bosch and BASF to invest in organic solar photovoltaics

Bosch and BASF, founding members of the technology initiative of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), are to cooperate in the innovative field of organic photovoltaics (OPV).

At an event held in the Neue Boerse, Frankfurt, the German government and its industry partners pledged to invest in research to promote the new technology, which is aimed at making the manufacture of solar cells much more cost-effective, and at the same time, increasing the number of areas of application.

Last year, photovoltaic modules had a global market volume of 8 billion euros. The segment is expected to grow by more than 20 per cent annually between now and 2020. The BMBF will provide 60 million euros for research to develop this market, while the initiative’s current industry partners – which include BASF, Bosch, Merck (Darmstadt) and Schott (Mainz) – plan to spend up to 300 million euros.

Dr Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Research, said, "The initiative to promote organic photovoltaics is an example of how we combine our strengths to invest in new technologies. Our high-tech strategy is aimed at strengthening Germany’s role as a business location."

Organic photovoltaics is the term used to describe solar cells based on organic semi-conductive materials that can generate electricity from light. This means that, in the future, they could replace the silicon that is used today. The aim is to use new materials, production processes and installation technologies to make the organic solar cells more efficient and cost-effective in the long term. Furthermore, the new technology will pave the way for sustainable energy production and make solar power more competitive.

Organic solar cells are flexible and as thin as a clear plastic folder. They are both light and colour tunable, which enables them, for example, to be used in foldable cell phone chargers, or on car roofs.

From 2015 onwards, their main area of application is expected to be in the construction industry, where the cells will be used in the form of a thin layer of plastic on roofs, windows or facades.

Stake in Heliatek

In order to develop the new technology further, BASF and Bosch are also cooperating in special research activities with the Dresden-based company Heliatek GmbH. BASF Venture Capital GmbH and Robert Bosch GmbH are each investing 1.6 million euros in the start-up company, which was founded in 2006. The other investors are Wellington Partners and the German government fund for high-tech start-ups. Heliatek specialises in the manufacture of new-generation organic solar cells. The company is working on an ultra-efficient technology to build large-scale modules on cheap, flexible substrates using a roll-to-roll production process.

BASF is conducting research into semi-conductive organic materials with high thermal and photo-thermal stability. The aim is that these materials should perform the function performed by silicon today; in other words, absorbing sunlight and converting it into electric power. The materials stand at the beginning of a system innovation, and the materials chosen will determine key properties of the end product. BASF is contributing its broad-based expertise in the field of organic electronics and the design, synthesis and production of complex organic compounds to the project.

"BASF is working in close interdisciplinary collaboration with Bosch – and at an early stage. This will allow us to create the conditions needed to develop the product more swiftly, and to gain a competitive advantage globally", said Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, member of the Board of Executive Directors and Executive Research Director at BASF. "Organic photovoltaics will be a strategic focus of our growth clusters Energy Management and Nanotechnology."

Moving towards energy self-sufficient homes

As part of the newly launched initiative, the Bosch Group will be looking at issues relating to industrial production.

"We want to use organic photovoltaics to make solar energy available at an affordable price", explained Siegfried Dais, deputy chairman of the Bosch board of management, with responsibility for research and advance engineering. This can only be done through efficient mass production and Bosch will be developing the appropriate processes.

"At the same time we want to use this opportunity to get closer to our vision of an energy self-sufficient home". Bosch has made considerable progress here: the company has already successfully launched a number of different technologies for producing renewable energies, including solar collectors for generating hot water, large gear units for wind farms, heat pumps, as well as vegetable oil and wood pellet based burners.

The aim of the research is to develop organic solar cells that convert at least ten percent of the incident light into energy and offer a service life of more than ten years. BASF’s ‘Joint Innovation Lab – Organic Electronics’, which opened last year in Ludwigshafen, acts as a cooperation platform for the industry and university partners.

Experts from a range of disciplines are working on organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) at the JIL, a technology that is also based, like organic photovoltaics, on organic semiconductive materials.

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact:

Jenny Hodge

Communications Manager

Robert Bosch Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 1895 838545

Email: jenny.hodge@uk.bosch.com

About Bosch

The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal 2006, some 260,000 associates generated sales of 43.7 billion euros. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering", the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales and after-sales service network of some 300 subsidiaries, with more than 13,000 Bosch service centres in over 140 countries.

The special ownership structure of the Bosch Group guarantees its financial independence and entrepreneurial freedom. It makes it possible for the company to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future, as well as to do justice to its social responsibility in a manner reflective of the spirit and will of its founder. A total of 92 per cent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by the charitable foundation Robert Bosch Stiftung. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG.

Additional information can be found at www.bosch.com and www.bosch.co.uk

About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges

from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF’s high-value products and intelligent system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of 52.6 billion euros in 2006. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

ENDS