A group of Taiwanese scientists from the National Taiwan University Yang Ming Jiaotong has developed innovative perovskite solar cells are capable of generating electricity from low interior light.
It is noted, that this development potentially makes it possible to create solar panels that can be use to generate electricity in indoor spaces, such as offices. The new perovskite solar cells are able to generate electricity from low light even on cloudy days.
Perovskite solar cells are a cheaper and more efficient technology than traditional silicon solar cells. PeSCs have a high coefficient of energy conversion, which makes them optimal for generating electricity in low light conditions.
«Silicon-based solar panels are the most common on the PeSC market. However, PeSCs can be made thin, light, flexible, and even translucent, while silicon panels are rigid and heavy, limiting their use on a flat, solid surface», — notes one of the study’s lead authors Fang-Chun Chen.
The test results of the new perovskite solar cells demonstrated a conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.7% under standard sunlight of 12 thousand lux. This is relatively low compared to the 26% PCE of some of the most efficient silicon solar cells. However, at a much lower light level of about 2 thousand lux, PeSCs demonstrated an impressive 38.7% PCE.
During the development of new perovskite solar cells, taiwanese scientists changed the width of the band gap of the perovskite composition, which is associated with the minimum energy required for electrons to move to higher energy levels. The team adjusted the ratio of molecules in the solutions used to create the layers of perovskite solar cells. By doing so, they obtained a band gap width that allows their solar cells to absorb light indoors. This band gap is not possible in silicon solar cells.
«Indoor PeSC efficiency is higher, which means that PV products can be better suited to a variety of user scenarios, including cloudy weather outdoors, indoors, and other low-light conditions», — adds Fan-Chun Chen.
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Source: Interesting Engineering
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