Perovskite Solar - Page 58

Researchers improve the efficiency of flexible perovskite solar cells using VdW stacking

Researchers from Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Korea University, Seoul National University and Korea's Frontier Energy Solution have demonstrated the feasibility of using the van der Waals stacking (vdWS) strategy to overcome the inefficiencies of flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs).

The team explained that using halide perovskites can significantly increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of f-PSCs due to the low-temperature processability, ultrathin dimensions, low weight, and excellent optoelectronic properties of such cells. Several efforts were also made to develop the charge transporting layer (CTL), interface engineering between CTLs and perovskite, and highly-crystalline perovskite films on a flexible substrate, which further increased the f-PSC PCE to 22.44%. However, the efficiency is only 87% of the conventional glass-based PSCs. The f-PSC efficiency is affected by the physical process limitations caused by the flexible substrates' flexibility. Polymer substrates, such as polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) are typically used as flexible substrates for f-PSCs.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 17,2022

TubeSolar raises USD$4.8 million

German photovoltaic (PV) thin-film developer TubeSolar recently raised EUR 4.68 million (around USD$4.8 million).TubeSolar said previously that it intends to use the proceeds to support its growth and for investments in the development of the highly-automated production of its PV modules.

In July 2022, the company reported an efficiency record of 14% on solar films in the industrially suitable "roll-to-roll" process as part of its perovskite research activities.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 16,2022

Evolar's perovskite solar cell technology meets demands of 25 years stable lifespan

Sweden-based Evolar, which has developed a unique perovskite-based solar cell technology, has announced that it can now present results from climate tests that show at least 25 years lifespan with stable electricity yield.

Evolar's tandem technology reportedly provides 25% more electricity at a low cost. However, to be commercially ready, solar panels also need to have a guaranteed lifespan of at least 25 years with stable electricity generation throughout this period.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 15,2022

Researchers use ammonia for healing formamidinium-based perovskite films

Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a method for processing formamidinium-based perovskite films, using a unique ammonia treatment to remove pore structures formed during the processing.

Methods and solvents used in processing perovskite films have been extensively studied, but these still require additional processing steps or materials to make perovskite films work. For instance, the extremely promising methylamine gas healing method is only suitable for methylammonium-based perovskite, but is not feasible for the more efficient formamidinium-based perovskite. In order to find solutions to the gas healing of the formamidinium-based perovskite films, the researchers first studied the underlying reactions responsible for the challenges. “We have shown that the degradation of formamidinium-containing perovskites is caused by a reaction between the formamidinium cation and aliphatic amines, producing ammonia,” said WANG Xiao from CAS, the second author of the study.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 15,2022

Researchers use perovskite superlattices with efficient carrier dynamics in novel PSCs

Scientists at the University of California San Diego, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stanford University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Korea's Yonsei University and Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology have developed a novel perovskite solar cell, made of a lead-free low-dimensional perovskite material with a superlattice crystal structure. The material exhibits efficient carrier dynamics in three dimensions, and its device orientation can be perpendicular to the electrodes. Materials in this particular class of perovskites have so far only exhibited such dynamics in two dimensions—a perpendicularly orientated solar cell has never been reported.

The team reported that thanks to its specific structure, this new type of superlattice solar cell reaches an efficiency of 12.36%, which is the highest reported for lead-free low-dimensional perovskite solar cells (the previous record holder’s efficiency is 8.82%). The new solar cell also has an unusual open-circuit voltage of 0.967 V, which is higher than the theoretical limit of 0.802 V. Both results have been independently certified.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 14,2022

New project will utilize quantum computing to advance perovskite PV materials

A UK-based quantum software company called Phasecraft will lead a project modelling new perovskite-silicon materials for solar photovoltaics. The project, in collaboration with Oxford PV and scientists at University College London (UCL), is aimed to support the development of quantum computing to simulate “currently intractable problems” in PV materials modelling, according to a recent statement.

Not many details were given regarding the new project, which received an award from UK Research and Innovation’s Commercializing Quantum Technologies Challenge. It was, however, said that it will set out to develop a modelling capability that is tailored to the real-world needs of the PV industry.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 06,2022

Sekisui Chemical to install film-type perovskite solar cells in Umekita (Osaka) Station

Sekisui Chemical has announced that it will provide and install film-type perovskite solar cells to Umekita (Osaka) Station, to be developed by West Japan Railway Company.

The Company claims it has achieved outdoor durability of 10 years equivalent by means of original “sealing, film formation, materials and process technology,” creating a 30 cm-wide roll-to-roll manufacturing process. This manufacturing process has been successfully used to produce film-type perovskite solar cells with power generation efficiency of 15.0%. Currently, work is aiming to establish a manufacturing process for 1 m-wide rolls that offers more improvements in durability and power generation efficiency with a view to practical application and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund is being leveraged to speed up development.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 05,2022

New battery-solar cell design could charge wearable in seconds

Researchers from the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence at the University of Cyprus, China's Zhengzhou University, and the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have demonstrated a new photo-rechargeable system, which merges zinc-ion batteries with perovskite solar cells.

(a) device configuration and (b) working principle of the integrated flexible photo-rechargeable system. Credit: Energy Storage Materials

The new system could allow wearables to charge without the need to plug in. In fact, as little as thirty seconds of sunlight could boost the battery life of future smartwatches and other wearables by tens of minutes. The new environmentally friendly, photo-rechargeable system is unique because of its elegant design between the integrated battery and solar cell, allowing it to demonstrate high energy and volume density comparable to state-of-the-art micro-batteries and supercapacitors. 

Read the full story Posted: Aug 04,2022 - 1 comment

Researchers use Polyaniline for improved perovskite solar cells

Scientists from Syracuse University, South Dakota State University and Huzhou University have examined the use of polyaniline as a material for improved perovskite solar cells. The team demonstrated a facile, low-cost fabrication route for polyaniline hole transport mechanisms that display enhanced power conversion efficiency compared to conventional PEDOT:PSS hole transport layers in perovskites. This could provide a route toward low-cost, high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.

PEDOT:PSS is a commonly used material in perovskites, used as a hole transport layer between the photoactive perovskite layer and indium tin oxide layer. Using PEDOT:PSS improves the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells. However, several issues have been observed with PEDOT:PSS. One of the fundamental issues is the degradation of active layers and defect formation associated with the large particle size of this material. Moreover, the use of this material as a hole transport layer is hindered by issues with low electrical conductivity limits and cost.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 02,2022

2D perovskite passivation layer for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Wuhan University of Technology and Foshan Xianhu Laboratory of the Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory have announced their success in manufacturing a high-efficiency, stable perovskite solar cell through a vacuum thin film deposition process.

Vacuum thin film deposition is a technique that is already widely used in the manufacture of large OLED TVs by evaporating raw materials in a vacuum and coating them thinly on a substrate. The perovskite solar cell developed this way displayed a photovoltaic-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 21.4%, which the team said is the highest among perovskite solar cells manufactured by vacuum thin film deposition process.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 01,2022