Low-cost and high-efficiency solar panels might become reality soon
What's the story
A team of researchers from China and Canada, led by Nanjing University, has made a major breakthrough in the commercialization of perovskite solar technology. The team has developed an ultra-stable coating for perovskite, a lightweight material that can be printed onto large surfaces. This new development could pave the way for low-cost and high-efficiency solar panels to be produced on an industrial scale.
Efficiency breakthrough
Perovskite panel tested at commercial scale
The researchers have tested their new perovskite coating on a panel roughly the size of a dining table.
The panel achieved an impressive 22% efficiency with a power output of 158.4W.
It also withstood the heat, humidity, and temperature extremes required for commercial use, setting a record for this technology at such scale.
Performance comparison
Perovskite system outperformed silicon by over 5% in May
The research team also took their technology out of the lab and installed a 1MW perovskite system next to a 3.5MW silicon facility at the same solar farm.
Over three months, they found that for the same installed capacity, the perovskite system produced more electricity than its silicon counterpart.
The perovskite system outperformed silicon by 3.42% in March, 3.79% in April, and 5.81% in May, its advantage increasing with rising temperatures and stronger sunlight conditions.