The energy conversion efficiency of perovskites, a new class of solar photovoltaic (PV) materials, is improving at the fastest pace in industry history, leading some to believe that an era of ubiquitous "green" solar energy is coming. However, Millennial Solar believes that before this happens, perovskite solar cells and modules need to overcome significant obstacles if they are to enter the commercial mainstream, otherwise it will be difficult to realize the vision of cheap, ubiquitous solar energy.

Perovskites and solar photovoltaics

Using a variety of layered crystalline minerals commonly found in nature, researchers are now able to create perovskite solar cells just half a micron (0.5 x 10) across length or width with a wide variety of chemical compositions, physical properties and performance attributes. Conducting experiments in the laboratory, the research team achieved a series of new, record-breaking high scores in energy conversion efficiency - the amount of energy a perovskite solar cell or module can produce when exposed to sunlight.

Viable solar PV solutions for every market

However, trying to become a truly clean energy source, or in this case, exploit their versatility to develop universal perovskite solar cells, may be more marketing hype than the real goal of the R&D team. "In general, the roadmap for commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic materials mimics that of thin film and organic photovoltaics, rising in scale from laboratory to devices and larger-scale applications,"

"Scaling from cells smaller than 1 square centimeter (2.54 square inches) to commercial-scale cells brings additional complexity with each step, including interconnecting cells into modules and interconnecting modules into arrays. And each step has related losses.

Some perovskite companies are producing various types of conventional, opaque and translucent perovskite solar cells with increasingly higher energy conversion efficiencies in various form factors. This includes opaque nanoscale single-junction perovskite solar cells and modules layered via sheet-to-sheet or roll-to-roll printing processes, depending on the final application to glass or extremely thin and flexible metal or plastic foils. Application requirements. The latter can be rolled onto a variety of surfaces and structures and bonded or fixed to almost any type of material, regardless of shape, size or form.

Some teams are also producing translucent perovskite solar cells on glass that can be stacked on top of crystalline silicon solar cells or modules to form high-efficiency multi-junction photovoltaic cells or modules. This results in the same form factors used to produce crystalline silicon solar modules and panels that can be seen on almost all solar sites today. Encapsulating perovskite solar modules in glass also makes integration with crystalline silicon solar panels easier. Doing so can increase overall energy conversion efficiency by 6% or more, driving a sharp decline in the cost of installed solar photovoltaic power generation.

Millennial Solar's perovskite organic photovoltaic research and development solutions help customers design and regulate the components of perovskite materials and other functional layers, develop new film-forming methods, and optimize solar cell device structures. Power the research and application of perovskite solar cells!

In addition, a number of companies are working with automotive and construction industry research programs to develop opaque and translucent perovskite solar cells and modules that can be integrated into various structural building materials - so-called building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) - as well as glass used in car and truck bodies and in building and automotive windows.