Art / Ecology / Distributed Energy / DIY Research

Biomimetic Solar

An artistic and technological investigation into solar panels made through biomimetic design, organic material experimentation and community-oriented DIY production.

Project Abstract

The project rethinks the solar panel as a functional device, an art object, and a pedagogical tool. Drawing from plant morphology and natural growth processes, it explores how solar technologies can be reimagined through alternative forms of design and production.

By applying electrochemical coatings to diverse surfaces, the work expands from screen-printing techniques to architectural-scale mural interventions. It focuses on reproducible fabrication methods, enabling photovoltaic structures to emerge from accessible, low-cost processes rooted in DIY culture and collective experimentation.

Research Sections

Study Process Application Fabrication Participation

01 / Introduction

Study Process

The project unfolds as a process of theoretical research through artistic practice. It is a long-term proposal that evolves at every point of its structure in a non-linear way, where theory, practice, and critical reflection are constantly intertwined. The process is not conceived as a closed succession of productive phases, but rather as an open work diary, where each experience or moment of work generates new questions that reorient and expand the development of the project.

In an initial phase, the work focuses on building the theoretical and conceptual framework that supports the research. Patterns present in nature constitute a fundamental starting point for visual study and artistic creation within biomimetics. These patterns not only respond to functional and physiological needs—such as the optimization of space, light capture, or nutrient distribution—but also generate geometric and repetitive structures that can be reinterpreted as visual elements. Understanding them makes it possible to construct a formal language that connects science and creation.

Leaf venation, branching systems and surface organisation are understood as optimised solutions developed through evolution. These morphologies are not arbitrary; they emerge from the need to maximise efficiency with minimal material.

Through biomimetics, these principles are translated into the design of solar systems. Instead of relying on flat, standardised panels, the project explores alternative geometries that could improve energy distribution, light capture and spatial integration.

At the same time, this approach questions the sterile and purely industrial construction of conventional solar technologies, proposing a shift toward systems that are more integrated and adaptive.

Generative logic

Physarum / Turing

A paradigmatic example is the reaction-diffusion patterns described by Alan Turing in 1952, which explain how simple chemical interactions can generate stripes, spots, or labyrinthine forms on the skin of animals such as tigers, zebras, and butterflies. These patterns demonstrate that visual complexity can emerge from very simple rules, and they constitute a reference model for understanding the generation of textures and modulations on natural surfaces.

This chemical morphogenesis proposed by Turing reveals a logic of self-organization that challenges the rigidity of conventional industrial design. In the context of Solar Biomimetics, reaction-diffusion patterns cease to be merely a visual reference and instead become a method of spatial distribution. If we understand the solar panel as an organism that must manage resources (photons) and dissipate heat, the labyrinthine or speckled configurations observed in biological systems offer a solution to avoid hot spots and optimize current collection. These patterns allow electrical conduction pathways to interweave so that, if part of the panel is shaded, the flow of electrons can find alternative low-resistance routes, mimicking the resilience of animal vascular systems.

Physarum offers a biological counterpart: an adaptive network that optimises paths between resources, reorganising itself continuously in response to its environment. As a living organism, Physarum polycephalum forms dynamic transport networks that distribute nutrients with remarkable efficiency, often approximating solutions to complex spatial problems such as shortest paths or optimal connectivity. Rather than following a predefined structure, it expands, retracts, and reinforces its tubular system based on feedback from its surroundings—strengthening frequently used routes while abandoning less efficient ones.

02 / Description

Application

The study of these patterns allows the integration of the notions of temporality and adaptation into the artistic object. In nature, an animal’s skin is not a static surface; the pattern grows and deforms along with the organism. By translating this idea into the screen printing of organic solar cells, it becomes possible to design interfaces that are not perfect grids, but “living” networks that respond to the topography of the support. This approach establishes an experimental methodological framework in which theoretical research on materials and industrial processes becomes a creative process, capable of translating functionality and structure into visual and aesthetic composition, opening new possibilities for innovation in design and artistic research.

Screen printing techniques provide an ideal framework to translate an industrial process of solar panel production into artistic practice. Beyond their historical use in graphic reproduction, serigraphy enables a precise, layer-by-layer deposition of functional materials, closely mirroring the stratified construction of photovoltaic devices.

When expanded to the scale of murals, this technique acquires an architectural dimension. The wall becomes not only a support but an active surface, where energy-generating layers can be embedded into the visual structure of the work. The application shifts from manual screen printing toward spray-based deposition systems, while still maintaining the same layered logic. Spraying allows the translation of serigraphic principles into large, continuous surfaces, enabling the coating of entire façades, infrastructures, or irregular constructions with functional materials. Instead of working through discrete frames, the stencil becomes expanded, mobile, or even replaced by masking systems and controlled spray patterns, allowing for greater flexibility and speed across large dimensions.

Biomimetic mural — leaf venation at architectural scale

The mural operates as an integrated system of energy capture, storage, and emission. Sprayed photovoltaic layers collect solar energy during the day and channel it through embedded conductive patterns into a storage system. This stored energy is then used at night to power lighting elements—such as LEDs or electroluminescent layers—allowing the mural to illuminate itself and reveal its internal structure.

In addition, the stored energy can be redirected to external outputs, enabling charging points for mobile devices. Storage itself can also take on a sculptural dimension: battery units can be conceived as artefacts—such as classical vessels—containing organic components that function as large-scale bio-batteries. Furthermore, hybrid devices can be developed in which the vessel integrates both storage and generation, with a solar layer printed directly onto its surface, transforming the object into a self-contained energy unit.

03 / Process

Fabrication

Central to the fabrication logic is the understanding of each layer's role in energy conversion. The substrate provides structural support; the anode collects positive charges; the hole transport layer (HTL) facilitates charge movement; the active layer absorbs light and separates charges; the electron transport layer (ETL) guides electrons toward the cathode. Each layer is deposited sequentially using screen printing, controlling mesh density, squeegee angle and pressure to ensure uniformity.

Three material models are explored in parallel: a laboratory-grade model based on MIT cellulose solar cell research, a DIY model optimised for serigraphic efficiency using accessible compounds, and an organic/sustainable model using bio-accumulated silica, anthocyanins and lignin extracted from plant matter.

At architectural scale, the system expands into a structure applied directly onto wall surfaces. Silver busbar networks distribute current across large formats. The encapsulation layer — a fluoropolymer (ETFE) varnish — protects organic molecules from UV degradation and atmospheric oxidation. Production cost is estimated at approximately 152 €/m².

The fabrication process also explores organic LED structures as a counterpart: if the cell converts photons into electrons, the OLED performs the inverse, emitting light from stored energy — murals that generate energy during the day and return light at night.

ENCAPSULATION

PROTECTIVE VARNISH

CATHODE

TRANSPARENT ELECTRODE

ETL

ELECTRON TRANSPORT

ACTIVE

LIGHT ABSORPTION

HTL

HOLE TRANSPORT

ANODE

CONDUCTIVE BASE

Substrate

R modelTransparent cellulose nanofiber

DIY modelCellulose acetate / bioplastic

Organic modelFlax / hemp cellulose

Anode

R modelITO

DIY modelSilver / copper ink

Organic modelOak charcoal (pyrolysis)

HTL

R modelPEDOT:PSS

DIY modelPEDOT:PSS (solution)

Organic modelPurified lignin

Active

R modelDBP + C60

DIY modelDBP + C60 (solvent)

Organic modelAnthocyanins (blackberry)

ETL

R modelBCP

DIY modelTiO₂

Organic modelEquisetum silica (ash)

Cathode

R modelEvaporated silver

DIY modelSilver mesh

Organic modelGraphite / soot mesh

04 / Participation

Biomimetic Solar

Application

Fabrication

Archive