A new study from the University of Surrey claims that a “simple” tweak to perovskite solar cells at the fabrication stage could help open the untold ability of the renewable energy source.
It is possible to control and decrease undesired energy loss in perovskite solar panels. This has been demonstrated by Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) by accurately regulating the fabrication process.
The future of perovskite solar panels is incredibly exciting, with the promise of not only improving the performance of solar farms and roof panels but many opportunities in powering spacecraft and interstellar probes.
Dr Bowei Li, Study Lead Researcher, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey
Li added, “We hope the relatively straightforward approach demonstrated in our study, which tackles recombination losses, can improve the reproducibility, efficiency, and stability of perovskite solar cells.”
Perovskite solar cells are broadly considered the natural successor to silicon-based solar devices due to their low development cost, high energy conversion efficiency, and lightweight nature. Being named after a naturally occurring mineral with a structurally similar chemical formula, perovskites are known to be synthetic composites with the availability of three-dimensional lattice crystal structures.
The University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute is a global leader in research into perovskite solar cells and their grant to raise global clean energy generation.
Perovskites are wonderful semiconductor materials enabling the revolution of next-generation photovoltaic technologies. However, despite unprecedented success in many emerging applications, their full potential has yet to be unlocked.
Dr Wei Zhang, Primary Supervisor, University of Surrey
Zhang added, “Our work will foster the understanding of the complex interplay between the passivators and perovskites at the material interfaces and take the perovskite photovoltaics to new heights."
Professor Ravi Silva, the co-supervisor of the research program and Director of the ATI at the University of Surrey, stated, “Net-Zero is impossible if solar energy isn't a crucial component of the mix. Solar energy is currently the leading technology for large-scale inexpensive green energy harvesting worldwide.”
“The ATI, and indeed the University of Surrey, is dedicated to making sure that this perovskite technology complements conventional solar modules and is central to the sustainability requirements for tomorrow's world.”
The study is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Swansea University, the University of Sheffield, the University of Toronto, the Institute of Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
Journal Reference:
Li, B., et al. (2022) Suppressing Interfacial Recombination with a Strong-Interaction Surface Modulator for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells. Advanced Energy Materials. doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202202868.
Source: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/