Indoor solar

This is a sponsored post by Springer Nature 

Perovskite materials have captured the attention of researchers worldwide due to their remarkable properties and versatile applications. These materials are being extensively studied for use in solar cells, photodetectors, field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and spintronics. Perovskites are unique because they offer a combination of high efficiency, low manufacturing costs, and the potential for flexibility and transparency. This makes them highly attractive for various cutting-edge technologies.

Given the relevance of the topic and the growing significance of perovskite materials, Sharon George, Senior Editor, Product Management SpringerMaterials, collaborated with Springer Nature’s blog The Link and interviewed Nature Communications editors to gain some of their insights into Emerging Trends in Perovskite Research - find out more about her findings below.

Image 1: from One-step dual-additive passivated wide-bandgap perovskites to realize 44.72%-efficient indoor photovoltaics, Energy & Environmental Science – https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EE04022D

Advancements in photovoltaics: from tandem to indoor solar cells

Photovoltaics is one of the most hotly discussed topics in perovskite research. According to Natalie Lok Kwan Li (Senior Editor, Nature Communications), current research is heavily focused on improving the performance of solar cells and modules. One of the most exciting advancements in this area is the development of tandem solar cells. These cells combine perovskite materials with other semiconductors to achieve higher efficiencies than traditional single-junction solar cells.

SEI Energy Technology (Jiaxing), a joint venture in China between Solaires Enterprises (Victoria BC, Canada) and Genesis Technologies (Shanghai), has announced the successful trial production of its perovskite modules from its mass production line. The companies view the success of this trial production as a significant breakthrough that demonstrates the potential of this production line, that lays a foundation for the large-scale commercialization of perovskite materials and solar modules. 

Solaires is focused on research and application development in the field of indoor light power generation. Its third party tested conversion efficiency reportedly exceeded 35% in 2024. In addition, SEI’s manufacturing process of perovskite materials is relatively simple, which can greatly shorten the production cycle and improve production yield. The raw materials used are environmentally friendly and have significant cost advantages. 

Empa spin-off Perovskia has launched perovskite solar cells that can be used in smartwatches, keyboards etc. Perovskia Solar has specialized in custom-made solar cells for electronic devices, and has recently acquired more than ten companies from the Internet of Things (IoT) industry as new customers and received over two million Swiss francs from an international coalition of business angels and early-stage funds. 

“Energy harvesting for IoT devices is a rapidly growing market with a potential of several billion dollars,” said Anand Verma, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Perovskia. “Our easy-to-integrate designer solar cells either eliminate the need for batteries or extend their lifespan, opening up the possibility of powering any device with solar energy.”

Halocell Energy has entered into an agreement with First Graphene, which will supply graphene for the manufacture of perovskite solar cells.

The initial two-year agreement will result in First Graphene providing its PureGRAPH material to Halocell for use as a high-performing coating for perovskite solar cells. By incorporating PureGRAPH into its products, Halocell Energy hopes to expedite its manufacturing process and enhance light absorbing performance, which will enable the company to scale up commercial production to meet demand.

An EU-funded Laperitivo project was launched earlier this month, focused on manufacturing large-area stable perovskite solar modules. Laperitivo stands for “large-area perovskite solar module manufacturing with high efficiency, long-term stability, and low environmental impact.” The project aims to achieve 22% efficiency for 900 cm² opaque panels and 20% for semi-transparent modules with more than 95% bifaciality.

The team will focus, among other things, on solving scalability challenges, to promote large-scale mass production with minimized losses. The abstract of the project’s EU funding paper also states that: “Indoor and outdoor field tests will be performed to monitor module reliability. Safety, circularity, and sustainability will be assessed to demonstrate products with minimized environmental impact.”

Perovskia Solar, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), has secured USD$2.4 million in funding from a global coalition of angels and early-stage funds, and successfully obtained 10+ Internet-of-Things (IoT) industry leaders as clients. The startup has introduced the first ready-to-adopt perovskite solar cells on the market for edge devices and is scaling up its Swiss manufacturing capacity.

Perovskia Solar is a Swiss cleantech startup that develops highly efficient, custom-designed solar cells for IoT and consumer electronic devices. These cells harness ambient light to power the next generation of self-sustaining devices, drastically reducing reliance on traditional batteries and minimizing waste. The company's vision is to integrate a solar cell into every device, enabling clients to launch breakthrough products with superior end-user experiences while tackling global environmental challenges. 

An NSW Smart Sensing Network Grand Challenge Fund project is hoping to eliminate the reliance of sensors on disposable batteries by testing the fast production of perovskite photovoltaic (PV) cells, in the hope of creating a more sustainable sensor power source. The NSW Smart Sensing Network, a consortium of eight leading universities across NSW and the ACT, is a not-for-profit innovation network that brings together universities, industry and government to translate world-class research into innovative smart sensing solutions that create value for NSW and beyond.

The Revolutionizing Indoor Sensor Power: Rapid Microwave Annealing for Ultra-low-cost Perovskite Solar Cells project is being led by Dr. Binesh Veettil, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Macquarie University. “Perovskite cells offer continuous power, and are ideal for harvesting indoor light to power low-power sensors,” Dr. Veettil says. “They are cost-effective when mass manufactured and they are suitable for roll-to-roll manufacturing as they can be screen-printed, slot-die coated, or spray-painted. Unfortunately the lengthy annealing time required is a challenge to be addressed to enable their widespread adoption.”

Australian start-up Halocell will reportedly begin producing flexible 7 centimeter-long photovoltaic strips that are said to generate enough power to replace the pair of disposable batteries in a TV remote, or the charger cable for a set of headphones. This represents the first large-scale manufacturing in Australia of perovskite PV technology.

The 5-volt Halocell perovskite strip. Image credit: Halocell

The Halocell modules will each cost less than a dollar to make and the Company has ambitious plans to produce millions per year, its CEO Paul Moonie said.

Researchers from Ming Chi University of Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Chang Gung University have explored the effect of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), readily deposited via spin-coating, on defect passivation in sol–gel NiOx for perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The team explained that while mixed-halide PSCs are highly attractive for indoor light-harvesting applications (thanks to their tunable bandgap and low-cost fabrication), achieving efficient carrier transport and defect passivation at the critical nickel oxide (NiOx)/perovskite interface, particularly under low light conditions, remains a challenge. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) offer a promising solution by introducing a tailored interface that promotes perovskite growth, suppresses non-radiative recombination, and facilitates efficient carrier transport. 

Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Ming Chi University of Technology, Belarusian State University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have synthesized novel materials to enhance the performance of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs). 

Graphical abstract. Credit: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024)

These can improve solar elements for indoor use, which can also be integrated into various electronic devices, and are able to generate electricity even in low-light conditions.