Dracula Technologies, a leader in ambient light energy harvesting, announces a significant advancement in its LAYER® technology, delivering 15% higher power efficiency along with new aesthetic improvements. This breakthrough enables manufacturers to integrate smaller Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) modules while maintaining the same electrical performance or achieve greater power output at the same size, meeting industry demands for compact, battery-free solutions. Additionally, a new aesthetic coating enhances the module’s appearance, allowing seamless integration into various product designs.
Aesthetic and Functional Enhancements
A new aesthetic coating will be applied to the upper surface of the module to improve its appearance and conceal any potential defects. Customers will be able to choose from various finishes according to their preferences, with a catalog of available options to be released soon. This addition ensures that LAYER® modules not only deliver superior performance but also blend seamlessly into product designs. Furthermore, the new silver bus bars enhance the module’s visual appeal while also playing a role in boosting efficiency.
Addressing the Growing Demand for Compact, Sustainable Energy Solutions
As industries seek to minimize battery reliance, the need for efficient, maintenance-free energy solutions is growing, particularly in IoT, smart labels, and industrial automation. Batteries increase device size, require replacements, and contribute to electronic waste. The latest iteration of LAYER® enhances energy harvesting efficiency, generating sufficient power even under very low-light conditions (<100 lux). This enables device manufacturers to reduce power constraints, extend product lifespan, and eliminate battery-related maintenance, making self-powered electronics more viable than ever.
Enabling Battery-Free IoT, Smart Buildings, and Retail Applications
With improved efficiency and compact design, LAYER® empowers manufacturers to create truly autonomous IoT sensors, smart building automation devices, and electronic shelf labels. In retail, this translates to sustainable, cost-effective solutions for electronic price tags, while logistics and asset tracking benefit from reliable, battery-free energy sources. Industrial automation applications, such as smart sensors and process monitoring, also gain increased energy autonomy, reducing operational costs and supporting energy-efficient operations.
A Step Forward in OPV Innovation
Jérôme Vernet, VP Sales of Dracula Technologies, commented: "With 15% higher power efficiency, a more compact design, and enhanced aesthetics, we’re addressing the growing demand for smaller, more autonomous, and visually adaptable energy solutions in IoT and smart devices. This advancement helps reduce costs, increase design flexibility, and achieve sustainability goals. By leveraging cutting-edge material science and manufacturing innovations, we continue to push the boundaries of energy harvesting, reinforcing our leadership in the field and commitment to sustainable solutions."
Technical Advancements: More Efficient and Aesthetically Adaptable
This technological advancement replaces the previous copper bus bars with screenprinted silver, allowing for precise control of the line width, down to 1 mm, which increases the active area and enhances power generation by up to 15%. This improvement offers either a more compact design with the same power output or higher power with the same surface area, reducing costs by up to 15%. The use of screen printing ensures durability and stability, as it handles the dense silver paste more effectively, producing robust, long-lasting bus bars. In addition to these efficiency improvements, the aesthetic coating further enhances the module’s integration into product designs, ensuring both functionality and visual appeal.
TCO-reducing factors:
Designed for longevity, the LAYER technology offers considerable advantages for the straightforward power supply of sensors, particularly in challenging installation situations. This also has a positive effect on overall costs. No battery replacement costs: OPV-powered sensors eliminate the need for battery replacement and the associated logistical challenges, making them ideal for large-scale deployment.
Minimised maintenance: Fewer components, such as batteries, require maintenance, so companies can reduce the manpower and resources required.
Scalability: OPV-powered sensors are a more cost-effective solution for large-scale IoT networks as they require minimal maintenance and support. This makes them ideal for multi-site deployment.
For those interested, Dracula Technologies offers demo kits for product designers to order and build prototypes.
About Dracula Technologies: Headquartered in Valence, France, the company pioneers sustainable energy solutions with its LAYER® technology, revolutionizing power sources for low-power electronics. Its organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules, manufactured using patented digital printing, harvest ambient light, eliminating reliance on traditional batteries. LAYER®Vault complements the company’s existing OPV harvesting product line, transforming it into a 2-in-1 product, combining low-light energy harvesting and storage on a single, flexible film ensuring uninterrupted device functionality, empowering Smart Buildings, Smart Homes, Smart Asset Tracking, and other related applications. Supporting its mission is its new "Green Micropower Factory"—a state-of-the-art, fully automated facility, the largest of its kind in the world with a capacity of up to 150 million cm² of printed OPV devices per year.
