Mass Production of 'Miracle Material' Perovskite Solar Panels Is Underway

By Thea Felicity

Mar 20, 2024 11:08 AM EDT

POLAND-ENERGY-SOLAR-SCIENCE — Two employees of Polish firm Saule Technologies present a solar panel on May 20, 2021 in the southern city of Wroclaw, Poland, as the company launches on May 21, 2021 the world's first industrial production line of solar panels based on groundbreaking perovskite technology. - Photovoltaic panels coated with perovskite film are light, flexible and can easily be fixed to almost any surface to produce electricity even inside buildings.
(Photo : Photo by JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists working on perovskite solar panels with 'miracle material' are preparing for mass production after facing hardships to make them market-ready, according to The Independent.

What Are Perovskite Solar Panels?

For context, perovskite is known for its capability to greatly improve the efficiency of solar energy capture, making it a highly promising material in the field of renewable energy.

Despite its potential, the transition from laboratory experiments to practical, market-ready solar panels has faced obstacles due to issues related to durability and reliability.

How Scientists Made The Perovskite Solar Panels Ready For Mass Production

In a groundbreaking study spearheaded by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US, there is now a promising solution to address associated with the mass production of solar panels made with 'miracle materials.

Published in a research paper, the perovskite solar panels will adopt vacuum-based production methods, which are widely used across multiple industries.

Professor Ulrich W. Paetzold, from the Institute of Microstructure Technology and Light Technology Institute at KIT, pointed out the benefits of vacuum processes, noting their long-standing success in industries. While standard solvent-based methods are common in labs, the study highlights how vacuum processes could revolutionize the commercialization of advanced solar cells.

Compared to regular silicon, the big improvements in how well perovskite-silicon hybrid solar cells work are a huge deal. Recent successes, like the Chinese company Longi reaching 33.9% efficiency with these new solar cells, show how much better they can be.

As more people turn to renewable energy, the mass production of perovskite solar panels could help make clean energy more common. Projects like the one in China and the plans of UK-based Oxford PV to sell these panels show that this new technology is becoming more popular.

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