Kardinia Energy

Printed Solar

Organic-based solar technology manufactured using advanced reel-to-reel printing techniques.

<$10/m2

manufactured cost

100%

recyclable.

<0.3 kg/m2​

lightweight.

360°

highly flexible.

Printing

Unlike traditional solar panels, which use silicon as the photoactive layer, Printed Solar uses carbon-based semi-conducting polymers printed on recyclable PET plastic.
These materials are highly abundant and do not require the energy-intensive manufacturing used to produce silicon solar panels.

Recycling

Unlike other energy technologies, Printed Solar has been designed to be fully recyclable from the start.

Sustainability

Printed Solar is one of the lowest emissions intensive energy sources available.​
BROWN COAL​
1000 g CO2-e/kWh
NATURAL GAS​
500 g CO2-e/kWh
SILICON-PV​
80 g CO2-e/kWh
HYDRO​
24 g CO2-e/kWh
PRINTED SOLAR​
<11 g CO2-e/kWh

Complementary technologies, not competition.

Complementary technologies, not competition. Click on Printed Solar or Traditional Silicon Solar to compare.
  • Printed Solar​
  • Traditional Silicon Solar​
Printed Solar​
Traditional Silicon Solar​
Cost US ($/m  )
 10 100
Weight (kg/m  )
 0.3 15-20
Material Consumption (g/m  )
 270 12,350
Energy Consumption (MJ/m  )
 37 2,297​
Energy Payback (Months)​
 <6 36-60+
Financial Payback Period (Months)​
 <18 36-60+
Specific Power (W/kg)​
 130 20-40

Printed Solar has been developed over 28 years of research and development ​

Printed Solar has progressed from small lab-scale devices (2 – 3 mm2) to large scale demonstrations (> 400m2), installed in collaboration with commercial partners. ​

1996

RESEARCH BEGINS​

Professor Paul Dastoor and scientific team begin research into conducting polymers. ​

2002

AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL​

Funding for Organic Solar Cells

2007

CENTRE FOR ORGANIC ELECTRONICS FOUNDED​

Printing facility established at the NSW node of the Australia National Fabrication Facility

2010

ABC NEW INVENTORS​

Peoples Choice Award Winner​.

Prof. Paul Dastoor's Solar Paint Technology - ABC New Inventors
2012

PRINT FACILITY ESTABLISHED​

Printing facility at the NSW node of the Australia National Fabrication Facility. ​

2015

ECONOMIC MODELLING PUBLISHED​

2017

PACPRINT

Commercial exhibition Melbourne Convention Centre ​

2018

CHEP INSTALLATION (200M2)​

First commercial scale installation​

2020

KARDINIA ENERGY FOUNDED

Kardinia Energy’s mission is to provide low cost sustainable energy for the masses.

2020

SOLAR ARBOUR​​

Public demonstration ​Lane Cove City Council​

2022

TESLA CHARGE AROUND AUSTRALIA​​

Printed Solar powered a Tesla around Australia

2022

COP 27

Kardinia Energy featured at COP 27 in Egypt

2023

Commonwealth Grant Awarded

Kardinia Energy secures funding from the Commonwealth Government Trailblazer Program.

2024

Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour