Toshiba

Japan's industry ministry is reportedly promoting the use of perovskite solar cells to cover 20 gigawatts of electricity — the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactors — in 2040, officials said. The plan is part of work to expand the use of renewable energy sources by supporting the introduction of next-generation technologies as the country is racing to reduce carbon emissions.

A perovskite solar cell by Toshiba. Image credit: Toshiba 

The ministry aims to include the plan in the country's basic energy program that the government will update within fiscal 2024, which ends next March. The existing energy program calls for increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources to 36% to 38% of power generation in fiscal 2030, compared with 22.9% in fiscal 2023. The new program, which sets goals for fiscal 2040, is expected to further raise the renewable energy share in anticipation of the spread of perovskite solar cells.

Last week, 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).  Now, Japan's industry ministry has said that it will launch a public-private group this month with the aim of commercializing perovskite solar cells, which are thin, light and bendable. The consortium will see 150 public and private entities, including local governments, working together to accelerate the adoption of flexible perovskite solar panels. 

Perovskite solar cells, which can be installed flexibly in various places, such as on walls, are believed to hold the key to Japan's push for renewable energy. As the first step, the consortium will set a target for perovskite cell capacity by 2040. Current projections point to 38.8 GW, with the possibility of exceeding the capacity of conventional solar panels (70 GW) in the next decade, reaching 84.2 GW in 2050.

According to reports, Japan's government plans to advance perovskite  flexible solar power panels through the country's feed-in tariff system, seeking to encourage investment in the technology. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to set the price of energy produced from perovskite cells at 10 yen (6 cents) per kilowatt-hour or more, higher than the current level for solar power, starting as early as fiscal 2025.

Light, flexible perovskite cells can generate electricity in places where traditional solar panel installation is not feasible, such as building walls and windows. The base technology is Japanese, and Japanese companies are involved in vigorous R&D with emphasis on quality and durability. At the same time, Chinese companies have begun mass production and are leading in commercialization.

Japanese electronics giant, Toshiba, has reportedly achieved a power conversion of 16.6% for a 703cm² polymer film-based perovskite solar module.

Toshiba representatives were quoted saying that the Company has provided large film-based perovskite PV module as experimental materials for demonstrations, probably referring to a project conducted at the Aobadai station in Yokohama that includes analyzing indoor performance.

At a recent CEATEC event, Toshiba presented a film-based perovskite photovoltaic module, and won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the event. The module was a double winner, also awarded the Grand Prix in the Carbon Neutral category.

Toshiba's solar module is light and flexible and can be installed in various places, including curved surfaces and windows. The lightweight and flexible solar cells made from perovskite film have achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 15.1%.