Perovskite Solar

Researchers at China's Shanghai University of Electric Power have used dibenzoylmethane (DBM) as a precursor additive introduced in order to regulate the crystallization of CsPbI₂Br perovskite while passivating its associated defects. 

Inorganic CsPbI₂Br perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted massive interest but the tendency towards unruly crystallization and poor film quality of inorganic CsPbI₂Br perovskites are major factors limiting their performance improvement. In their recent work, the scientists used DBM additive engineering for efficient and stable carbon-based CsPbI₂Br PSCs.

Researchers from India's Chiktara University have reported improved stability and performance of organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells by applying a strategy called bandgap grading.

The method is based on enabling the cell perovskite absorber to collect a wider range of light photons by modifying its thickness and characteristics. The team explains that its recent study demonstrates the effectiveness of both linear and parabolic bandgap grading strategies in optimizing light absorption and boosting performance, showing its potential. 

Israel-based SOLRA-PV showcases its cutting-edge indoor perovskite solar panel technology in action by successfully powering an entire IoT device setup. The system comprises an indoor panel, an environmental sensor, Bluetooth, and power management.

As you can see in the video, the prototype device performs a measurement every 10 minutes and transmits it to the smartphone. Utilizing SOLRA-PV's panels effectively captures indoor light for power generation, thus paving the way for the development of battery-free devices. The Company states that under indoor light conditions of 1000 lux, the panel produces 0.5 mW of power.

Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Kaunas University of Technology and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) recently improved on a previous development of record-breaking solar cells a few years ago, by expanding their invention: the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can now be applied not only in inverted but also in regular structure perovskite solar cells.

Self-assembling molecules arrange themselves into a single-molecule-thick layer and in this case, they act as an electron-transporting layer in solar cells.

It was reported that the Japanese government estimates the need for electricity output to rise 35% to 50% by 2050 due to growing demand from semiconductor plants and data centers backing artificial intelligence (AI). 

It was mentioned that the country is counting on perovskite solar cells, floating offshore wind farms, restarts of nuclear power plants and the introduction of next-generation reactors to meet the demand.

Researchers from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a scalable two-step evaporation and inkjet process for perovskite thin-film solar cells. The new technique is said to enable champion cells with the same efficiencies as those made with the spin coating process.

The process is described as a scalable and reliable technique for high-quality perovskite deposition, which combines the use of an evaporated lead iodide layer with inkjet-printed organic perovskite precursor materials. It is also said to exhibit high reproducibility and potential for conformal growth on textured silicon, and that provide films that are free of drying effects and toxic solvents.

China-based RenShine Solar has announced that following the completion and commissioning of its 150MW perovskite photovoltaic module project in January, 2024, the Company's 1.2*0.6㎡ commercial size single-junction perovskite was certified by the China Institute of Metrology. The steady-state efficiency of the entire module area reportedly reaches 18.4%.

The production line aims to achieve mass production of 1.2m*0.6m perovskite modules with 20% efficiency by mid-2024. It plans to develop gigawatt-scale production lines to further expand its capacity.

Researchers from EPFL, Soochow University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Toin University of Yokohama, Southern University of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, North China Electric Power University and Toyota Motor Europe recently developed a solar panel relying on EPFL's record-breaking 25.32%-efficient 2D/3D perovskite solar cells unveiled in July 2023.

The group's research demonstrates a larger surface area of 27.22 cm², achieving an impressive efficiency of 23.3%. In the paper, the scientists explain that the module's high efficiency was achieved thanks to a synergistic dopant-additive combination strategy aimed to improve the cell absorber's uniformity and crystallinity. They used, in particular, methylammonium chloride (MACl) as a dopant and a Lewis-basic ionic liquid known as 1,3-bis(cyanomethyl)imidazolium chloride ([Bcmim]Cl) as an additive.

Researchers from Malaysia have simulated a mixed cation solar cell based on a perovskite absorber integrating tin (Sn) and germanium (Ge) as mixed B cations. By modulating the perovskite layer thickness, they achieved an efficiency ranging of 24.25% - 31.49%.

Perovskite absorbers using mixed cations have the potential to improve stability, light absorption, and charge carrier mobility. A cations are used to control the bandgap and stability of the perovskite material, while B cations are intended to modify electrical and optical characteristics of perovskites. The scientists explained that using both elements in the B cation via “compositional engineering ” enables to reduce their respective defects and increase the cell performance, when compared to using each of them separately. Furthermore, the Ge atoms can replace Sn atoms in the perovskite crystal structure.

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, Pusan National University and Korea Electric Power Research Institute have introduced a simple approach to produce high-quality perovskite films at room temperature by precisely regulating the perovskite composition with the addition of an organic linker (oleylamine, OAm). This work aims to address the challenge presented by current processes for manufacturing PSCs - that tend to rely on high-temperature annealing and intricate post-treatments.

The team’s innovation not only simplified the production process but also increased the material’s efficiency from under 20% to 24.4%. The method enabled phase conversion to the stable α-phase without thermal annealing, as confirmed by in situ X-ray monitoring. The optimized device achieved impressive efficiencies of 23.2% (24.4% with an anti-reflective coating), surpassing efficiencies attained by previous room/low-temperature-processed PSCs.