3GSolar Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Technology

1. 3GSolar Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Technology Michael SchwartzChief Technology Officer3GSolar Photovoltaics Ltd.Leading Developer of 3rd Generation Photovoltaics Optical Engineering 2014 February 2014

2. Outline • Company Background • What is a DSC? • Why DSC? • 3GSolar R&D Program • 3GSolar Markets • Summary

3. Background on 3GSolar Photovoltaics • Start-up company located in Jerusalem, Israel • Team of 15 with broad experience in solar energy, dye cells, batteries, capacitors and materials • Management headed by Barry Breen (CEO) and Dr. Jonathan Goldstein (President) • Recent funding round successfully completed with Solar Partnership (UK), Israel Electric Co. and Ningbo (China) • Aggressive business plan in place to raise efficiencies and compete in the builidng-integrated and plastic PV market sectors

4. Background on 3GSolar Photovoltaics

5. What is a DSC? • DSCs first invented in 1991 by M. Gratzel and B. O’Regan • Described as an artificial photosynthesis • Cells are comprised of a photoanode of nano-titania coated with a self-assembling monolayer of dye, a redox electrolyte and a nanocarbon-based counter electrode on glass (cathode)

6. What is a DSC? • Titania • Nanosized 15-40nm with high surface area • Dyes • Ruthenium-based using polypyridyl ligands • Phthalocyanines and porphyrins • Wide range of organic dyes • Need to have proper energetics • LUMO above TiO2 conduction band • HOMO below electrolyte redox potential • Electrolyte • Iodide/triiodide couple most common but record performance with Co2+/3+ couple • Also solid-state hole conducting polymers • Cathode Catalyst • Pt most common but carbon nanotubes, graphene and others used

7. DSC State-of-the Art • 3GSolar Relative Performance

8. Why DSC? • DSCs Have Several Advantages over Conventional PV

9. Why DSC? • DSCs Have Several Advantages over Conventional PV

10. Why DSC? 3GSolar DSC module shows >10% difference in cumulative energy production per watt over the course of a sunny day

11. Why DSC? • Better Light Conversion Over Course of Day

12. Why DSC? • Better Light Conversion Over Course of Weeks

13. Why DSC? • Better Light Conversion under Indoor Conditions At 200 Lux, the 3GSolar DSC is 9.5 times more efficient than an 18.5% efficient mono-crystalline Si cell, and 3.5 times more efficient than an amorphous Si cell.

14. Why DSC? • DSCs Have Several Advantages over Conventional PV

15. Why DSC? • DSCs Have Several Advantages over Conventional PV • Transparent DSC module installed in algae growing tank producing both biomass and electricity in same area.

16. 3GSolar R&D Program • Technical Issues • Our goal is to achieve 10% efficiency in a large (225cm2) cell with 20 years stability • Areas requiring additional R&D to achieve this goal: • Use of larger portion of visible spectrum, particularly into the IR • Higher voltage operation • Electron transfer kinetics, especially for non-iodide electrolytes • Better use of module area (active vs. total module area) • Flexible/Plastic • Transparent

17. 3GSolar R&D Program • Technical Issues • Our goal is to achieve 10% efficiency in a large (225cm2) cell with 20 years stability • Areas requiring additional R&D to achieve this goal: • Use of larger portion of visible spectrum, particularly into the IR • Higher voltage operation • Electron transfer kinetics, especially for non-iodide electrolytes • Better use of module area (active vs. total module area) • Flexible/Plastic • Transparent

18. 3GSolar R&D Program • Capturing More Light Incident Photon to Current Efficiency Now • How? • New dyes and dye combinations • Optical effects • Upconversion or downconversion

19. 3GSolar R&D Program • Durability Under Sunlight Efficiency ratio for each individual cell in the two year experiment performed outdoors in Jerusalem. The efficiency ratio is the ratio of efficiency at the start of the experiment to efficiency at the end of the experiment.

20. 3GSolar R&D Program • Flexible/Plastic Cells • Inexpensive • Glass large DSC cost component • Can be conformal to surface • Embedded power source for small devices, energy harvesting • We’ve achieved an efficiency of 7.8% under 1 sun • 15x15cm plastic demo cells

21. 3GSolar Large Module • 32 Series-Connected Cells of 225cm2

22. 3GSolar DSC Markets PV for greenhouses Overhangs, awnings & parasols • Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Curtain walls and windows Off-grid power

23. 3GSolar DSC Markets • Energy Harvesting/Embedded Devices Sensing 3GSolar Plastic Cell Consumer Eliminate batteries in low power consumer electronics Healthcare Wireless devices Security cameras

24. Summary • DSC is the 3rd generation of photovoltaic technology • Poised to enter the market • DSCs have several advantages over conventional PV • Low Cost • Low-Light Operation • Potential for Transparency • 3GSolar has fabricated the world’s largest single cell • Performance of glass and plastic cells at the State-of-the Art for large areas • Technical issues still remain • 3GSolar has an active R&D program to solve these remaining issues

25. Acknowledgements • 3GSolar Coworkers • Barry Breen (CEO), Jonathan Goldstein (President), Katya Axelrod, Itzhak Barzilay, Nir Stein • Academic Partners • Prof. A. Zaban (BIU) • Prof. D Oron (WI) • Prof. D Cahen (WI) • Prof. D. Aurbach (BIU) • Prof. C. Sukenik (BIU) • Support from the Office of Chief Scientist (Eurostars, COBRA and NES)

26. THANK YOU