Perovskite Solar
What are perovskite?
Perovskites are a class of materials that share a similar structure, which display a myriad of exciting properties like superconductivity, magnetoresistance and more. These easily synthesized materials are considered the future of solar cells, as their distinctive structure makes them perfect for enabling low-cost, efficient photovoltaics. They are also predicted to play a role in next-gen electric vehicle batteries, sensors, lasers and much more.
How does the PV market look today?
In general, Photovoltaic (PV) technologies can be viewed as divided into two main categories: wafer-based PV (also called 1st generation PVs) and thin-film cell PVs. Traditional crystalline silicon (c-Si) cells (both single crystalline silicon and multi-crystalline silicon) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) cells belong to the wafer-based PVs, with c-Si cells dominating the current PV market (about 90% market share) and GaAs exhibiting the highest efficiency.
Thin-film cells normally absorb light more efficiently than silicon, allowing the use of extremely thin films. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology has been successfully commercialized, with more than 20% cell efficiency and 17.5% module efficiency record and such cells currently hold about 5% of the total market. Other commercial thin-film technologies include hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) cells, taking approximately 2% market share each today. Copper zinc tin sulphide technology has been under R&D for years and will probably require some time until actual commercialization.
What is a perovskite solar cell?
An emerging thin-film PV class is being formed, also called 3rd generation PVs, which refers to PVs using technologies that have the potential to overcome current efficiency and performance limits or are based on novel materials. This 3rd generation of PVs includes DSSC, organic photovoltaic (OPV), quantum dot (QD) PV and perovskite PV.
A perovskite solar cell is a type of solar cell which includes a perovskite structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide-based material, as the light-harvesting active layer. Perovskite materials such as methylammonium lead halides are cheap to produce and relatively simple to manufacture. Perovskites possess intrinsic properties like broad absorption spectrum, fast charge separation, long transport distance of electrons and holes, long carrier separation lifetime, and more, that make them very promising materials for solid-state solar cells.
Perovskite solar cells are, without a doubt, the rising star in the field of photovoltaics. They are causing excitement within the solar power industry with their ability to absorb light across almost all visible wavelengths, exceptional power conversion efficiencies already exceeding 20% in the lab, and relative ease of fabrication. Perovskite solar cells still face several challenge, but much work is put into facing them and some companies, are already talking about commercializing them in the near future.
What are the advantages of Perovskite solar cells?
Put simply, perovskite solar cells aim to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of solar energy. Perovskite PVs indeed hold promise for high efficiencies, as well as low potential material & reduced processing costs. A big advantage perovskite PVs have over conventional solar technology is that they can react to various different wavelengths of light, which lets them convert more of the sunlight that reaches them into electricity.
Moreover, they offer flexibility, semi-transparency, tailored form factors, light-weight and more. Naturally, electronics designers and researchers are certain that such characteristics will open up many more applications for solar cells.
What is holding perovskite PVs back?
Despite its great potential, perovskite solar cell technology is still in the early stages of commercialization compared with other mature solar technologies as there are a number of concerns remaining.
One problem is their overall cost (for several reasons, mainly since currently the most common electrode material in perovskite solar cells is gold), and another is that cheaper perovskite solar cells have a short lifespan. Perovskite PVs also deteriorate rapidly in the presence of moisture and the decay products attack metal electrodes. Heavy encapsulation to protect perovskite can add to the cell cost and weight. Scaling up is another issue - reported high efficiency ratings have been achieved using small cells, which is great for lab testing, but too small to be used in an actual solar panel.
A major issue is toxicity - a substance called PbI is one of the breakdown products of perovskite. This is known to be toxic and there are concerns that it may be carcinogenic (although this is still an unproven point). Also, many perovskite cells use lead, a massive pollutant. Researchers are constantly seeking substitutions, and have already made working cells using tin instead. (with efficiency at only 6%, but improvements will surely follow).
What’s next?
While major challenges indeed exist, perovskite solar cells are still touted as the PV technology of the future, and much development work and research are put into making this a reality. Scientists and companies are working towards increasing efficiency and stability, prolonging lifetime and replacing toxic materials with safer ones. Researchers are also looking at the benefits of combining perovskites with other technologies, like silicon for example, to create what is referred to as “tandem cells”.
Commercial activity in the field of perovskite PV
In September 2015, Australia-based organic PV and perovskite solar cell (PSC) developer Dyesol declared a major breakthrough in perovskite stability for solar applications. Dyesol claims to have made a significant breakthrough on small perovskite solar cells, with “meaningful numbers” of 10% efficient strip cells exhibiting less than 10% relative degradation when exposed to continuous light soaking for over 1000 hours. Dyesol was also awarded a $0.5 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to commercialize an innovative, very high efficiency perovskite solar cell.
Also in 2015, Saule Technologies signed an investment deal with Hideo Sawada, a Japanese investment company. Saule aims to combine perovskite solar cells with other currently available products, and this investment agreement came only a year after the company was launched.
In October 2020, Saule launched sunbreaker lamellas equipped with perovskite solar cells. The product is planned to soon be marketed across across Europe and potentially go global after that.
In August 2020, reports out of China suggested that a perovskite photovoltaic cell production line has gone into production in Quzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The 40-hectare factory was reportedly funded by Microquanta Semiconductor and expected to produce more than 200,000 square meters of photovoltaic glass before the end of 2020.
In September 2020, Oxford PV's Professor Henry Snaith stated that the Company's perovskite-based solar cells are scheduled to go on sale next year, probably by mid 2021. These will be perovskite solar cells integrated with standard silicon solar cells.
AGM Group and Southern University of Science and Technology launch joint laboratory
It was recently reported that AGM Group and the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) announced the official establishment of their joint laboratory, marking a new chapter in their collaboration in the field of perovskite solar cells and photovoltaic components.
AGM Group specializes in high-end equipment manufacturing, new material manufacturing, and R&D innovation. Its business scope covers various fields such as diamonds, gallium arsenide, and perovskites, providing advanced manufacturing equipment and new photovoltaic component systems including MPCVD, HFCVD and ALD, among others. The Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at SUSTech focuses on diverse research directions, with notable achievements in new renewable energy and its energy conversion and storage systems and technologies. Led by Academician Zhao Tianshou of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the energy engineering research team has excelled in fields such as flow batteries, lithium batteries, catalytic hydrogen production, and solar cells.
Hanwha Qcells announces record efficiency for commercially scalable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell
Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division (Hanwha Qcells), a global leader in complete clean energy solutions, has announced a new world record, reaching 28.6% for tandem solar cell efficiency on a full-area M10-sized cell that can be scaled for mass manufacturing. This result was achieved despite having only begun large-area tandem development in 2023.
“The tandem cell technology developed at Hanwha Qcells will accelerate the commercialization process of this technology and, ultimately, deliver a great leap forward in photovoltaic performance,” said Danielle Merfeld, Global CTO at Hanwha Qcells. “We are committed to advancing the next generation of solar energy efficiency and will keep investing significantly in research and development to drive progress in this field, as every kilowatt counts on the path to building a more sustainable future.”
Nexwafe and CSEM develop tandem perovskite 2-junction cells with 28.9% efficiency
Nexwafe, a German wafer manufacturer, said that a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell it developed in partnership with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.9%.
The tandem perovskite 2-junction cells used NexWafe’s EpiNex wafers and demonstrated their potential for advanced solar technologies. The company stated that with superior smoothness at the nano-scale, EpiNex wafers provide the ideal platform for the next generation of low-cost, solution-processed tandem perovskite cells.
Four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem modules delivered for 50 MW project in China
In November 29, Hangzhou Xianna Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd. delivered its perovskite α-tandem modules for the China Three Gorges New Energy 50 MW PV demonstration project, in what is said to mark the first commercial application of four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem modules in China.
Once the PV power plant utilizing these tandem modules is completed and connected to the local grid, it will significantly alleviate the local grid's supply-demand imbalance, reduce environmental pollution, and improve air quality. The design work for a 500 kW demonstration plant has already been completed, with plans to collaborate with engineering institutes for on-site module layout design. The demonstration plant is expected to be connected to the grid and operational by the end of 2024.
Homerun Resources acquires Halocell Europe
Homerun Resources has signed a binding agreement to acquire Halocell Europe, a perovskite solar technology company, aiming to advance the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Homerun Resources has agreed to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Halocell Europe from Halocell Energy. This acquisition positions Homerun as a key player in the solar energy market, leveraging Halocell’s expertise and ongoing projects in Europe.
Homerun is developing a vertically integrated business within the energy transition focused on the solar and energy storage sectors. Halocell focuses on research and development of perovskite technology to produce perovskite solar cells. Halocell Europe has more than EUR 2 million in active grants for research and commercial development projects and has received more than EUR 5 million in grant contributions from various European institutions. Halocell Europe has 18 months of working capital coverage in place for current operations.
Adding azetidinium iodide can improve the efficiency and stability of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells
Researchers from China's Tianjin University of Technology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, North China Electric Power University and South China University of Technology have shown that the introduction of azetidinium iodide (AZI) into the precursor solution of a 1.77 eV bandgap FA0.8Cs0.2Pb(I0.6Br0.4)3 perovskite significantly improves the efficiency and stability of the perovskite cells.
Devices fabricated with 2 mol% AZI (relative to FAI, noted as AZ2) in perovskite layer exhibited a high PCE of 19.16 % and a high open-circuit voltage of 1.31 V. When stored under nitrogen atmosphere and illuminated under 1 sun conditions for 300 h, AZ2 device retained 80 % of the initial values.
China Huaneng announces 26.12% efficiency on its large-size perovskite silicon tandem cell
According to reports, China Huaneng (China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd.) has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 26.12% on its self-developed large-size perovskite silicon tandem cell, and the result was certified by a third-party testing institution.
China Huaneng stated that after more than ten years of research, it has established a systematic platform for R&D, pilot testing and analysis of perovskite cells, mastered the technology of large-area high-efficiency perovskite and tandem solar modules, and taken the lead in the application of perovskite photovoltaic technology, carried out the verification of kilowatt-scale solar systems using perovskite modules in various scenarios, and built the first megawatt-scale solar system using large-scale perovskite products in overseas.
Saule Technologies to start a pilot demonstration for perovskite solar cells with H.I.S and Lawson
Saule Technologies has announced that it will work with H.I.S. Co., Ltd. and Lawson, Inc. to start a pilot demonstration using film-type perovskite solar cells at "Green Lawson" from Monday, December 16, 2024.
Lawson is a large chain of retail grocery stores based in Japan, and it was stated that the cooperation will include Perovskite Electronic Shelf Labels and Power Generation Panels.
Researchers develop a surface reconstruction method that enables four-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with 33.10% efficiency
Researchers from Huaqiao University, Gold Stone (Fujian) Energy Company, Beijing Huairou Laboratory and Kunshan Shengcheng Photoelectric Technology have reported a four-terminal (4T) perovskite-silicon solar cell with a perovskite-based top cell, with an energy bandgap of 1.67 and lower surface defects.
Structure of the 4T perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Image from Nature Communications
The team integrated a wide-bandgap perovskite solar cell with a hybrid back contact device in a four-terminal tandem cell that achieves high efficiency and stability. The group used a new surface passivation strategy that reportedly helped gain the cell's strong performance.
Waaree Energies and IIT Bombay partner to create an advanced fabrication and characterization setup for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells
India-based Waaree Energies has announced a strategic CSR initiative with IIT Bombay towards advanced R&D of solar perovskite cells. The partnership will involve Waaree Energies and IIT Bombay jointly working on creation of an advanced fabrication and characterization setup for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.
Through the initiative, Waaree Energies aims to inspire young scientists who are inclined towards clean energy in general and solar power in particular. Furthermore, the initiative will aim to serve as a role model towards innovation and sustainability in India’s next generation. The setup at IIT Bombay will provide a sophisticated platform for students and researchers to pioneer clean energy solutions, driving India’s position forward as a global leader in renewable technology.
