Global solar capacity is shooting upwards, and the pace is set to accelerate as new, high efficiency solar cells emerge from the research lab.
The Perovskite Solar Cell Of The Future Is Here
The natural mineral perovskite was discovered in the 1839. Nothing much happened in terms of solar technology until 2009, when a research team in Japan showed that perovskite crystals could be deployed in a solar cell.
The solar conversion efficiency of their new device was a measly 3.8%, but it was a good start. Since then, conversion efficiency has shot up into the 20% range as the scope of research expands. One promising pathway is to combine perovskites with the more conventional solar material, silicon. Silicon is pricier and more efficient, and perovskites are less expensive but less efficient. Combining the two materials in the right balance would lower the cost of solar cells while maintaining a reasonable degree of efficiency.
The UK firm Oxford PV, a spin-off based on Oxford University perovskite solar cell research, is among those working on tandem silicon-perovskite solar cells. In the latest development, Oxford PV reports that its new residential-sized solar module has achieved an”unprecedented” solar conversion efficiency of 26.9%.
The new module is made from solar cells that layer perovskite on silicon. According to Oxford PV, the figure of 26.9% is well above the current status of silicon alone, which the company puts at about 25% efficiency for the most advanced modules.
A gain of 1.6% conversion efficiency may seem like small potatoes, but with greater conversion efficiency comes the same amount of solar power in a smaller footprint. That can translate into lower costs for manufacturing, transportation, and installation. The increased efficiency also means that fewer solar panels are needed to provide the same power output. That could open up the market to smaller or partially shaded rooftops.
