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Scientists develop technology that enables perovskite on an industrial scale, boosting more efficient solar panels and global solar energy.
A breakthrough published in the journal Nature Energy could be a game-changer for the renewable energy sector. Researchers from Germany and Spain have developed a method capable of solving one of the main challenges that prevented the use of perovskite on an industrial scale, bringing a new generation of more efficient and economically viable solar panels closer.
The discovery was led by scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany and the University of Valencia in Spain, with support from institutions in France and Argentina. The new process allowed the manufacture of tandem solar cells with 24.3% efficiency in just 10 minutes, a result considered relevant to bring the technology closer to commercial production lines.
According to information from Nature Energy on May 19, more than just a laboratory record, the work reduces the gap between research and industry. For sector specialists, this was precisely the biggest obstacle for perovskite to stop being a promise and start integrating real solar energy projects around the world.
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The breakthrough that could change the future of solar energy
The search for more efficient electricity generation systems has driven investments in new photovoltaic technologies. Among them, the so-called tandem solar cells emerge as one of the most promising bets in the industry.
This type of structure combines traditional silicon with an upper layer of perovskite. While perovskite absorbs shorter and more energetic wavelengths, silicon takes advantage of the remaining part of the solar spectrum.
In practice, this combination allows for capturing a greater amount of light and generating more electricity than the conventional solar panel models currently available.
Why perovskite was considered a challenge for the industry
Despite its enormous potential, perovskite has always presented difficulties when it comes to large-scale production.
In a laboratory environment, the material had been demonstrating excellent results for years. The problem arose when it came to manufacturing ultrathin layers quickly, uniformly, and economically viable.
Many experts feared that the technology would remain restricted to research centers due to the complexity of the production processes necessary to ensure industrial quality.
According to the researchers involved in the study, the problem was not exactly with the perovskite, but rather with the methods used to deposit the material on the solar cells.
Scientists achieve 24.3% efficiency in just 10 minutes
The study revealed numbers that caught the attention of the energy sector.
Using the new manufacturing method, the scientists were able to produce tandem cells with:
- Efficiency of 24.3%;
- Processing time of just 10 minutes;
- Deposition rate of 47 nanometers per minute;
- Speed about 10 times higher than conventional methods.
For Ulrich Paetzold, a researcher at KIT involved in the project, the industry needs processes that are efficient, fast, and scalable at the same time. The new method managed to combine these three factors into a single solution.
Moreover, the system uses a reduced amount of raw material and allows for the reuse of materials during manufacturing, contributing to lower production costs.
The CSS technology that accelerated large-scale production
The major differentiator of the research lies in a technique known as Close Space Sublimation, or CSS.
The operation can be compared to a small high-precision oven. During the process, the precursor materials evaporate and directly reach the silicon surface positioned a few millimeters away.
In this controlled environment, the formation of the perovskite layer necessary for the operation of the tandem cell occurs.
According to Sofía Chozas-Barrientos, a researcher at the University of Valencia, the technique eliminates the use of chemical solvents and significantly reduces manufacturing time.
This characteristic is important because it simplifies the production process and facilitates its adaptation to existing factories.
How perovskite improves the performance of solar panels
The efficiency of solar panels depends directly on the ability to capture different wavelengths of sunlight.
Traditional silicon modules perform excellently, but they have physical limitations that hinder significant advances in efficiency.
The use of perovskite helps precisely to overcome some of these limitations.
Among the main benefits are:
- Better utilization of the solar spectrum;
- Higher electricity generation per installed area;
- Possibility of reducing costs over time;
- Compatibility with structures already used by the industry;
- Potential to enhance the competitiveness of solar energy.
These characteristics explain why perovskite is being pointed out as one of the most promising technologies in the photovoltaic sector.
The secret of the 3:1 ratio that solved the bromine loss
Another challenge faced by scientists involved the incorporation of bromine into the composition of perovskite.
This element is essential to expand the so-called forbidden band of the material, a necessary characteristic for the upper layer of the tandem cell to function correctly.
The problem was that bromine evaporated during manufacturing, reducing the quality of the final result.
Alexander Diercks, one of the researchers involved in the study, participated in the solution found by the team. The scientists developed a mixed organic source composed of methylammonium iodide and methylammonium bromide in an exact ratio of 3 to 1.
The strategy allowed preserving bromine during the production process and achieving a forbidden band of 1.64 electron-volts (eV), considered adequate for high-performance photovoltaic applications.
Textured solar panels pass the most important test
An innovation only becomes commercially relevant when it can function outside ideal laboratory conditions.
Therefore, the researchers decided to test the method on different types of surfaces used in the manufacture of solar panels.
The results showed that the deposition of the perovskite layer worked on:
- Smooth silicon;
- Nano-structured silicon;
- Micro-structured silicon;
- Commercially used surfaces with micro-pyramids.
Microscopic analyses confirmed a uniform coverage on all the topographies evaluated.
According to Henk Bolink from the University of Valencia, this capability is crucial for industrial application, as currently marketed solar panels do not use completely smooth surfaces.
Benefits that can transform the solar energy market
The new technology arrives at a time of strong expansion of renewable generation in various countries.
With the possibility of producing tandem cells more quickly and efficiently, manufacturers will be able to increase the competitiveness of solar energy in the coming years.
The expected impacts include:
- Reduction in manufacturing costs;
- Higher energy efficiency of the modules;
- Better utilization of installation areas;
- Expansion of renewable generation;
- Acceleration of the global energy transition.
These factors can contribute to making photovoltaic systems even more accessible for residential consumers, companies, and large plants.
The missing step to bring the technology to factories
For years, the main challenge of perovskite was not its efficiency, but its industrial viability. The new technique presented by scientists shows that this barrier is beginning to be overcome in a concrete way.
By combining speed, efficiency, material savings, and compatibility with surfaces used by the industry, the CSS process demonstrates that mass production of tandem cells is increasingly close to reality.
The result does not mean that global adoption will happen immediately. There are still validation, production expansion, and industrial adaptation steps. Even so, experts consider that the sector has just taken one of the most important steps towards the next generation of solar panels.
If the advances observed in the study are reproduced on a large scale, perovskite could play a central role in the growth of solar energy over the next decade, helping to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic systems and accelerating the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy matrix.
With information from Nature Energy.
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