Perovskite Solar - Page 30

A team of researchers from Brookhaven National Lab, Georgia Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (CNR-SCITEC) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie has examined the mechanism that causes degradation of formamidinium-based halide perovskites and have been able to stop it using a thin layer of molecules that repels water.

“Perovskites have the potential of not only transforming how we produce solar energy, but also how we make semiconductors for other types of applications like LEDs or phototransistors. We can think about them for applications in quantum information technology, such as light emission for quantum communication,” said Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and the study’s senior author. “These materials have impressive properties that are very promising.”

The CEA at INES, ENEL Green Power and its Sicilian affiliate 3SUN have announced a new record for a PIN architecture two-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem cell with a conversion efficiency of 28.4% on 9 cm² with shading correction.

In 2023, the CEA and 3SUN have previously announced 26.5% in March, and 27.1% in June for the same type of PIN architecture tandem cell on 9cm² with shading correction. The year closes on a high note for the team, with this cell, certified by the European Commission JRC-ESTI at a conversion efficiency 24.4% equivalent to 28.4% with shading correction. Like the previous performance record, the device has an active surface area of ~ 9 cm² and a Voc of over 1900 mV.

Reports suggest that China-based GCL (via its new subsidiary Kunshan GCL Photoelectric Materials) will establish its integrated project relating to the perovskite and energy storage industries in Kunshan. The GCL Group is an international energy group mainly focused on new energy, clean energy and related industries. It has been listed in the Top 500 Chinese Enterprises and the Top 500 Private Enterprises in China for many consecutive years, ranking second in the top 500 global new energy companies. 

The comprehensive cooperation reached betweenGCL and Kunshan's government involves projects related to perovskite, energy storage, digital energy, and the digital technology financial center. With the support of Kunshan's government, GCL Perovskite will build the world's first large-scale 2GW perovskite production line in two phases, aiming to create a billion-level industrial base.

Researchers at China's Wuhan University of Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Jinan Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology have developed a novel playdough-like graphite putty as top electrode for perovskite solar devices. The electrode is malleable and so can form good contact with the hole-transporting layer and the conductive substrate at room temperature using a simple pressing technique, which facilitates the fabrication of both small-area devices and perovskite solar modules. 

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) are promising candidates for large-scale photovoltaic applications due to their theoretical low cost and high stability. However, the fabrication of high-performance C-PSCs with large-area electrodes remains challenging. In their recent research, the team showed that corresponding small devices and modules can achieve efficiencies of 20.29% (∼0.15 cm²) and 16.01% (∼10 cm²), respectively. Moreover, they analyzed the limitations of the optical and electrical properties of this playdough-like graphite electrode on the device performance, suggesting a direction for further improvement of C-PSCs in the future.

China's Three Gorges Group has announced that "the world's first commercial megawatt-level perovskite ground-mounted photovoltaic project was successfully connected to the grid on November 29".

The project is located in the Kubuqi Desert hinterland of Hangjin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, and is supported by the Kubuqi 2 million kilowatt photovoltaic desert control project in the west of Inner Mongolia. The project has an installed capacity of 1 megawatt, covers an area of 40 acres, and utilizes a total of 11,200 modules of perovskite photovoltaic modules, as was reported.

Hanwha Qcells recently announced it will be closing its 3.5GW module factory in South Korea, in response to the stagnant solar market in the country. It was reported that the total installed capacity of solar power in South Korea has been continuously decreasing over the past three years, from 4.7GW in 2020 to 3.4GW in 2022, and is expected to further decrease in 2023.

Closing the factory comes as part of a plan to optimize Hanwha's photovoltaic module production capacity. However, Hanwha stated that it will continue to invest in its factory in Jincheon, South Korea, which will continue to produce TOPCon products and operate a perovskite tandem cell pilot line.

Researchers at South Korea’s Chonnam National University have reported perovskite-organic hybrid tandem solar cells with 23.07% efficiency processed entirely in open air, bringing the technology a step closer to economic viability.

Schematic illustration of the synthesis of all-inorganic perovskite thin films by dynamic hot-air-assisted method. Image from Energy & Environmental Science 

Researchers have largely relied on meticulously engineering the perovskite crystal structure itself for greater resilience. But these delicate handling steps add cost and complexity not suitable for mass production. The team explained that the focus has recently shifted toward all-solution processed solar cells due to their low energy consumption fabrication processes. The team’s innovation, a dynamic hot air deposition technique, simplified the production process by eliminating the need for humidity-controlled environments.

Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE have estimated that the practical power conversion efficiency potential of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells may reach up to 39.5%. In a recent study, the Fraunhofer ISE scientists set out to provide guidelines for future research on perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells by identifying the most significant loss mechanisms at the perovskite/ETL interface, in the series resistance, and in light management.

The team explained that the calculated practical efficiency potential of 39.5% for a perovskite silicon tandem device under standard measurement conditions (STC) can serve as an input for future studies which are required for a better understanding of the full system before the commercialization of tandem solar cell technology can take place.

It was reported that China-based Ideal Deposition Equipment, a technology and equipment company with chemical vapor deposition technology as its core, has entered into a supply agreement with a top American photovoltaic company for manufacturing perovskite cells.

Ideal Deposition primarily focuses on producing equipment for PERC and TOPCon production. In recent years, it has launched a series of related equipment for mainstream photovoltaic cell producers worldwide. Additionally, it manufactures coating equipment for tandem layers of perovskite cells.

China-based BOE Technology Group (BOE), one of the leading companies in the global display technology field, recently launched a project to enter the photovoltaic industry by investing in perovskite solar cells. BOE held a ceremony to launch the project

It is believed that BOE's entry into the perovskite solar cell market will bring new energy to the industry, which is in line with the country's renewable energy policy. The Company has a strong R&D team and extensive experience in display technologies, which could be applied to the development of perovskite solar cells. BOE has also established partnerships with top universities and research institutions to promote the development of perovskite solar cells.