Organic, flexible solar cells that make a difference
SDU CAPE carries out research and development activities in the interdisciplinary field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The research is especially important for fulfilment of the UN SDGs #7, 11, 12, 13.
SDG #7 – Affordable and clean energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals. At SDU CAPE we are working on developing different types of devices that harvest, converts and store solar energy, such as organic and perovskite solar cells, electrolysis cells and supercapacitors, which are of essential importance for a multitude of applications in buildings, transport and industry.
SDG #11 : Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – lives in cities today and 5 billion people are projected to live in cities by 2030. Therefore it’s important that efficient urban planning and management practices are in place to deal with the challenges brought by urbanisation. One of the main urban challenges is the rising air pollution within cities. At CAPE we are developing clean energy harvesting, conversion and storage devices that can be integrated in different energy, building and transport applications, in particular building integrated photovoltaics.
SDG #12 : Sustainable production and consumption
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Sustainable consumption and production aims at doing more and better with less by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the whole life cycle, while increasing quality of life. At the current time, material consumption of natural resources is increasing, and continuous challenges regarding air, water and soil pollution are being faced. At CAPE we have a special focus on developing green chemistry-based solutions for the sustainable energy harvesting devices, including materials synthesis, materials themselves and sustainable device processing conditions.
SDG #13 : Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts. At CAPE we are at the forefront of research and development of the clean energy sources with the lowest CO2 footprint possible, and the economically most rewarding energy payback time of all renewable energies – organic, perovskite and hybrid solar cells.
