Roll2Sol - A very special film and its production
One solution for two different problems: This is what the Roll2Sol project is working on. A newly developed technology can lead to greater efficiency both in photovoltaic systems and in the production of green hydrogen.
Generating green energy more efficiently
The core of the project is a quasi multifunctional film with a particularly sophisticated surface: on photovoltaic systems, it creates a lotus effect and protects the modules from dust and dirt, which can impair the performance of the systems. When producing green hydrogen, it increases the surface area on which chemical reactions can take place, thus ensuring that green hydrogen can be produced faster and more efficiently.
Fresh from the lab: new high-tech printing process
What sounds simple is actually quite complex, as much of what is needed for this has never been seen before. For example, the structure of the film surface: the films are produced with rollers in a roll-to-roll process, similar to newspaper printing. Special tools had to be developed in order to achieve the novel, microscopically small patterns that are responsible for the characteristic surface structure - and ultimately the desired effect. A specially developed laser helps to create the patterns; many laser spots, each as small as a hundredth of the thickness of a hair, specifically process the surface of large rollers. In this way, even surfaces that are several square meters in size can be structured very finely and precisely.
The resulting structure is transferred to plastic films with the roller processed in this way - and thanks to the roll-to-roll process, large quantities can be produced in a short time at manageable costs. The process is currently already working on a small scale, as the structures, the tool and the designs have already been successfully developed by some of the project partners in a previous project or in the current project. The next milestone: producing large-format films and testing them on solar cells.
From tool production to the end product made in NRW
The special thing about the project is that the entire development chain is based in NRW. A technology that can be used worldwide is being developed and produced locally and is helping to make Europe's supply of sustainable energy more self-sufficient. From the design of the nano- and microstructures to tool production, integration by printing press manufacturers and implementation by specialized printing service providers, through to test fields and end users, all work is taking place in North Rhine-Westphalia. This strengthens networking between the project partners and at the same time their international competitiveness.
