Forget silicon. This material could be a game-changer for solar power.
Solar energy is poised for what could be its biggest transformation in over half a century.
A group of materials called perovskites are being used to create the next generation of solar panels, which could eventually be twice as efficient as current models, and flexible enough to wrap around entire buildings.
Oxford PV aims to begin producing cells made from perovskite on silicon early next year at a new purpose-built factory in Brandenburg, Germany. It estimates that panels made from the cells could save homeowners up to $1,000 on the purchase and installation of the average solar system.
Our solid state, thin film perovskite solar cell technology is designed to enhance the existing $183 Billion photovoltaic industry. When built on top of conventional 156 mm x 156 mm silicon solar cells, in a tandem configuration, the resulting perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells show highly improved efficiency. Significantly improving the performance of silicon solar cells on the same footprint, enables cost reductions that transform the economics of silicon solar energy generation.
-- Edited by dorian on Monday 19th of October 2020 10:06:07 AM
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:36 PM Oct 19, 2020
This is such a big industry now that I would expect a constant stream of minor improvements and the occasional big step.
Houses need low cost per watt. Efficiency is of less importance until you need every watt.
RVs need better efficiency so they can get more watts on the roof.
Looks like this might give both?
Cheers,
Peter
Until I read your second article, Dorian. I thought that it may have been a very big breakthrough
Perhaps this is another one of those "wait and see" future solar panel products
I have no doubt that as Peter has already said, with the industry getting larger, there will be more breakthroughs, down the line
I read (many years ago) about future battery technology, so I assume that it will be the same for solar panels
The theory was at that time, that not enough deep cycle/electric car batteries were being sold, to entice the research for a better battery
Now with more and more, deep cycle/electric car batteries being sold, we seem to be getting better batteries
Jaahn said
05:41 PM Oct 20, 2020
Yea well I read a bit of that and went to a '2nd gen' reference but hell I soon started to bog down !!
Get this bit; "Scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Michigan State, Toledo and Wisconsin universities bla bla-----.
The scientists examined sites at Toledo, in Ohio and Golden, Colorado, to take account of high and low latitude and humidity conditions. The researchers analyzed the environmental impact of single-junction, bifacial perovskite cells with high and low bandgaps, and multi-junction devices of the same type with two-terminal (2T) and four-terminal (4T) structures. They quantified the life cycle energy production from the cells under real-world conditions and benefiting from diverse albedo environments including installation above sandstone, concrete, grass and snow."
Now who is going to argue with that Jargonese it could be right !
My mate, who might know a bit more than most, said he knew about perovskite, and he was not a Russian spy like I thought
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Tuesday 20th of October 2020 06:55:26 PM
dorian said
05:37 AM Oct 21, 2020
Jaahn wrote:
Yea well I read a bit of that and went to a '2nd gen' reference but hell I soon started to bog down !!
Get this bit; "Scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Michigan State, Toledo and Wisconsin universities bla bla-----.
The scientists examined sites at Toledo, in Ohio and Golden, Colorado, to take account of high and low latitude and humidity conditions. The researchers analyzed the environmental impact of single-junction, bifacial perovskite cells with high and low bandgaps, and multi-junction devices of the same type with two-terminal (2T) and four-terminal (4T) structures. They quantified the life cycle energy production from the cells under real-world conditions and benefiting from diverse albedo environments including installation above sandstone, concrete, grass and snow."
When the patent lawyers get involved, even the scientists won't understand it.
-- Edited by dorian on Monday 19th of October 2020 10:06:07 AM
Houses need low cost per watt. Efficiency is of less importance until you need every watt.
RVs need better efficiency so they can get more watts on the roof.
Looks like this might give both?
Cheers,
Peter
Oxford PV achieved 28% efficiency 2 years ago:
https://www.perovskite-info.com/oxford-pv-hits-28-efficiency-its-tandem-silicon-perovskite-solar-cells
There are some downsides to this technology:
https://www.perovskite-info.com/perovskite-solar
Perhaps this is another one of those "wait and see" future solar panel products
I have no doubt that as Peter has already said, with the industry getting larger, there will be more breakthroughs, down the line
I read (many years ago) about future battery technology, so I assume that it will be the same for solar panels
The theory was at that time, that not enough deep cycle/electric car batteries were being sold, to entice the research for a better battery
Now with more and more, deep cycle/electric car batteries being sold, we seem to be getting better batteries
Yea well I read a bit of that and went to a '2nd gen' reference but hell I soon started to bog down !!
Get this bit; "Scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Michigan State, Toledo and Wisconsin universities bla bla-----.
The scientists examined sites at Toledo, in Ohio and Golden, Colorado, to take account of high and low latitude and humidity conditions. The researchers analyzed the environmental impact of single-junction, bifacial perovskite cells with high and low bandgaps, and multi-junction devices of the same type with two-terminal (2T) and four-terminal (4T) structures. They quantified the life cycle energy production from the cells under real-world conditions and benefiting from diverse albedo environments including installation above sandstone, concrete, grass and snow."
Now who is going to argue with that Jargonese
it could be right !
My mate, who might know a bit more than most, said he knew about perovskite, and he was not a Russian spy like I thought
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Tuesday 20th of October 2020 06:55:26 PM
When the patent lawyers get involved, even the scientists won't understand it.