Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Next-generation solar panels with record efficiencies within reach

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Next-generation solar panels with record efficiencies within reach: Perovskite tandem solar cells on the verge of commercialisation

Solar modules using perovskite tandem solar cells are highly efficient, which is why they are of great interest to some of the world's largest solar companies as a renewable energy source for power generation. There have been problems with the instability of perovskites, but research is progressing rapidly and several start-ups are competing to bring them to market.

Commercial solar panels with record-breaking efficiencies could be realised in just a few years using perovskite tandem solar cells. Researchers at Swift Solar, a Silicon Valley company, have been working on the technology for more than a decade, as have many other start-ups. But some scientists fear that time is running out:

The process involves coating silicon with perovskites (e.g. by vapour deposition, printing or spin coating) so that different wavelengths of sunlight are absorbed, and has already achieved over 33% efficiency in the laboratory. One of the challenges is the perishability of perovskite as a material for solar panels, but progress has recently been made in improving its stability. Some solar companies have shown their confidence in the technology in recent months by investing large sums in pilot production lines.

In addition to the volatility caused by high sensitivity to water, light and heat, the scalability of the projects plays a crucial role. The US Department of Energy has invested millions of dollars in two recent projects by Bin Chen and Barry Rand, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Princeton University, to test perovskite silicon configurations that could be more durable, as well as projects by universities and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Tomas Leijtens, co-founder and chief technology officer of Swift, says the company can now expose its cells to temperatures of up to 70°C. The start-up hopes to have its high-efficiency modules on the market within four years:

A few months ago, First Solar, the largest solar manufacturer in the US, acquired the European perovskite company Evolar. UK start-up Oxford PV plans to launch the first perovskite tandem modules with an efficiency of 28.6% this year. Hanwha Q Cells of Korea plans to invest US$100 million in the construction of a perovskite tandem pilot line.

source:notebookcheck.net