Project description
Sustainable carbon architectures for indoor photovoltaics
The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things has created a significant environmental crisis due to the massive disposal of single-use batteries. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PRICELESS project will address this by developing innovative photocapacitors that combine indoor light harvesting and energy storage into a single, printable device. These systems will use lead-free materials and sustainable carbon components to create an eco-friendly alternative to traditional power sources. By eliminating the need for external power electronics, this technology is expected to enable autonomous sensors to operate independently and sustainably. Additional project objectives include supporting the digital transition by providing a scalable, battery-free solution for future smart devices, taking a significant step towards reducing electronic waste through advanced green engineering.
Objective
The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing fast, projections estimating over 41 billion devices by 2030, but faces a major energy challenge. Most IoT devices still depend on disposable batteries, leading to environmental and economic concern. Replacing them often generates huge amounts of waste, an estimated 78 million batteries thrown away daily by 2025. Indoor photovoltaics (PV) offer a cleaner option, but current systems only work when light is available and need additional power management, making them less practical for autonomous IoT applications. PRICELESS (printable indoor carbon-based lead-free perovskite photocapacitors) tackles this by developing devices that both harvest and store indoor light in one printable stack. The approach combines lead-free perovskite-inspired materials (PIMs) with sustainable carbon supercapacitors (SC), avoiding external power electronics while keeping the process environmentally safe. The project has three goals: (i) making high-performance lead-free indoor PV cells using triple carbon architectures; building eco-friendly SC with bio-based binders and green solvents; and integrating them into self-rechargeable photocapacitors (PC) that can power IoT sensors without batteries. Alongside testing, the project will also set protocols for PC characterization and show a real-world battery-free IoT demonstrator. PRICELESS aims to a future less dependent on disposable batteries, supporting Europe’s digital transition and environmental goals. The research will take place at Tampere University under Prof. Paola Vivo, an expert in PIMs development and indoor PV, with industrial training at Solaronix SA for ink formulation and scalable manufacturing. This fellowship will push forward sustainable energy technologies and lay the groundwork for my independent research career in next-generation energy harvesting and storage.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences internet
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
33100 Tampere
Finland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.