BIPV

Researchers from Pakistan's University of Engineering & Technology (UET) and National University of Technology have reported the use of manual screen printing to fabricate semi-transparent, scalable perovskite solar modules without the requirement for numerous laser-scribing steps. 

A carbon-based, hole-transport-layer-free perovskite solar module with a power conversion efficiency of 11.83% was manufactured, with an active area of 900 cm². Accelerated testing was done in settings with elevated humidity, high sun irradiation, and harsh temperatures to determine whether these modules are ready for the market. 

Sekisui Chemical has announced it was selected for the GX Supply Chain Construction Support Project by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The company would like to play a central role in realizing the government's goal of establishing a gigawatt (GW) level supply system by 2030, and has therefore decided to make a capital investment with the aim of starting operation of a 100 MW manufacturing line in 2027, for producing lightweight perovskite solar panels, to be used initially for low load-bearing rooftops. 

The Company plans to take over the buildings of Sharp Corporation in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, and install perovskite solar cell manufacturing facilities to carry out manufacture and sales.

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong have introduced a novel and durable 2D thermochromic perovskite, Tha₂MAPbI₄ (TMPI, Tha = thiourea, MA = methylamine), wherein Tha acts as a Lewis acid-base adduct. TMPI demonstrates a reversible transition, achieving 83.7% luminous transmittance in the cold state and 35.2% in the hot state, thereby showcasing a substantial solar modulation ability of 24.7%. 

The background for this development is that despite growing interest in thermochromic metal halide perovskite (MHPs) for smart window applications, existing MHP smart windows predominantly feature 3D perovskite, which exhibits a deficiency in environmental stability, presenting persistent challenges for practical applications. 

It was reported that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) have decided to support a demonstration project for perovskite solar cells conducted by Sekisui Chemical and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (HD). 

The total project cost is estimated at about 18.3 billion yen ( just under USD$119,000,000), with approximately 12.5 billion yen (around USD$81 million) to be subsidized through the Green Innovation (GI) Fund project. The project will verify installation methods, construction methods, and mass production technologies that take advantage of the unique characteristics of perovskite solar cells.

Researchers from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), University of Rome Tor Vergata and Université Crenoble Alpes have designed a Solar Brick (SB) based on textile ceramic technology (TCT) and perovskite photovoltaic cells. The new SB can be used for applications in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). 

Textile Ceramic Technology (TCT) is an innovative construction system that consists of ceramic units installed in a grid of stainless steel wires. TCT has been patented in 2011. Its main application is to cover roofs, grounds, building façades and more. The team says: "One of the advantages of the system is the reduced time construction, since traditional ceramic claddings systems require a manual procedure on site in where the bricks are placed one by one joined by mortar. Moreover, the large length dimension of the shells makes possible to cover ground, façade and roof with the same element".

Semi-transparent solar cells are appealing for many different applications such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs), tandem solar cells and in wearable electronics. Perovskites could be ideal for semi-transparent applications as they are versatile and easy to optimize.

Semi-transparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) must try to maximize efficiency and transparency. Methods such as bandgap engineering, thinning perovskite layers, and creating discontinuous structures are being developed to improve their performance. However, challenges still remain with ST-PSC development, such as phase stability and defect management.

Reports suggest that the Japanese government is planning a trial use of perovskite solar cells in solar panels to be installed in Fukushima Prefecture by next March.

Perovskite cells are lighter and more flexible than silicon-based types, making them suitable for use on building walls. The technology is also attracting attention in Japan because the cells are made with iodine compounds, which are domestically available. Sources say perovskite solar panels will be set up at three locations in Fukushima, including the national sports training center. They may also be used along highways.

Eindhoven University of Technology researchers have developed a multiscale computational framework for scaling up perovskite photovoltaics from cell scale to building integration. 

The novel framework includes three key modeling components: (i) cell scale, incorporating a coupled optical-electrical-thermal model to characterize performance and hysteresis of small-area perovskite solar cells, (ii) module scale, designing monolithically interconnected perovskite minimodules and quantifying upscaling losses, and (iii) building scale, assessing complex interactions between environmental factors and building-integrated perovskite photovoltaics.

A collaborative project by leading Helmholtz Centers for photovoltaic research aims to accelerate the deployment of multi-benefit photovoltaics based on emerging printed PV-Technologies like organic photovoltaics and perovskites. 

Core Lab Perovskite PV at KIT. Image from Solar TAP website

The Solar Technology Acceleration Platform (Solar TAP) for emerging Photovoltaics brings together 3 Helmholtz Centers, 9 major research infrastructures, and more than 25 scientists. The three Helmholtz centers are: Forschungszentrum Jülich, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. They are aligning their world-class infrastructures in order to create the joint Technology Acceleration Platform and providing fast and simple access to laboratories, equipment and scientists through collaborative pre-financed projects.

A research team at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has announced a new generation of printable perovskite solar cells that offer higher efficiency and stability, lower cost and scalability, with a minimal carbon footprint. With funding support from the inaugural Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+ Scheme) of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR government, the team aims to establish a pilot production line within 18 months.

The “Scalable Production of Next-Generation High-Performance Printable Solar Cells” project, led by Professor Alex Jen at CityUHK, was awarded RAISe+ funding to commercialize the technology. Professor Jen is a pioneer in developing perovskite solar cells that has achieved, along with his research team at CityUHK, significant milestones in recent years - such as perovskite solar cells that displayed a power conversion efficiency of over 26% in laboratory testing. They also successfully addressed the common stability issues by demonstrating perovskite solar cells with an estimated lifetime of over 20 years through accelerated aging tests, comparable to that of silicon-based cells in the market.