Researchers test flexible solar films in Alpine conditions
Friday 13th November 2026 on 06:45 in
Austria
Researchers at the University of Innsbruck are testing a new generation of thin-film solar cells on a mountain above the city, where they face wind, cold, rain, fog and snow. ORF reports that the test is part of the EU-funded Solmates research project, which aims to improve the cells’ efficiency.
The test station sits on the roof of a former Nordkettenbahn accommodation building on the Hafelekar, more than 2,000 metres above sea level. The researchers chose the location to assess how the technology performs in a harsh Alpine climate. Other project test stations are in Rome, where cells are exposed to salty sea air, and in Berlin.
Flexible films combine two technologies
Unlike heavy, rigid panels, the solar cells are made from flexible photovoltaic films. The thin-film cells are thinner than a human hair and about 100 times thinner than conventional silicon-based solar cells. They also require less material and energy to produce, and can be cut into different shapes.
Tyrolean company Sunplugged makes the films. Developer Martina Harnisch said they could be integrated into products that need to bend, such as window slats, where light weight and wind resistance are important.
The project aims to boost efficiency by combining two thin-film technologies. Researchers place a layer of perovskite over a base layer of copper indium gallium diselenide, or CIGS. Each material captures a different part of the solar spectrum, allowing the combined cell to use more sunlight.
The cells are developed by research partners across Europe. Sunplugged, based in Wildermieming in the Innsbruck-Land district, specialises in the CIGS layer. The cells are then sent to research institutes including those in Berlin, Rome and Oxford. The University of Innsbruck team developed an intermediate layer to help the two technologies work together.
The project is targeting an efficiency of more than 30 percent. The cells currently reach 25.5 percent, according to researcher Nikolaus Urban-Weinberger.