A new class of solar cells called Perovskites are poised to replace silicon as the material of choice for solar panels of the future.

Perovskite panels bring the potential of lower cost, lower temperature manufacturing, and a much lighter finished product than today's typical silicon panels.

What exactly are Perovskite Solar Cells? And how can they affect the expansion of solar panel tech?

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"Perovskites are a broad class of materials defined by the fact that they have a particular kind of molecular arrangement, or lattice, that resembles that of the naturally occurring mineral perovskite." -David L Chandler, MIT News and Around the World

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An interesting aspect of Perovskites is that they absorb a different part of the light spectrum than Silicon does - so the combination of the two technologies could be quite powerful. On their own, however, Perovskite panels surpass the efficiency of Silicon. Another advantage of Perovskite is that it can be manufactured in very thin layers while maintaining a higher energy capture efficiency.

Recently, new approaches to the design and manufacture of Perovskite cells have shown an increase in efficiency achievements above that of Silicon (typically in the 20-22% maximum range).

Perovskite cells are already setting records. Reporting by Pranjal Mehar at Tech Explorist states that, "Scientists at UNIST (One of the four public universities in South Korea which are dedicated to research in science and technology) have achieved the world’s highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) record for a perovskite solar cell (PSC) at 25.8%." How did they do it? "They created an interlayer between electron-transporting and perovskite layers to minimize interfacial defects".

What does the future for Perovskites and its research look like? David L. Chandler of MIT News and Around the Campus states, "In pursuing the research further, there are two important avenues: to continue pushing the limits on better efficiency and to focus on increasing the material’s long-term stability, which currently is measured in months, compared to decades for silicon cells. Many electronic devices such as cellphones, for example, tend to be replaced within a few years anyway, so there may be some useful applications even for relatively short-lived solar cells."

Without a question, Perosvkites prove to be a key player in the development of Solar tech. However, it's not all perfect... yet. Some of the downfalls reported (Credit: SolarReviews.com):

• Perovskites break down over time when exposed to moisture, light, heat and oxygen, meaning there needs to be additional technologies developed to stabilize the cells for widespread use

• The very best perovskites at generating energy contain lead, which is a neurotoxin; however, the industry is working on ways to reduce potential perovskite toxicity

• Perovskite cells are not yet ready for commercial sales

Although these disadvantages are present, their advantages prove incredibly valuable (like ease and low-case of manufacturing, the potential for high power conversion efficiency, and less use of rare Earth metal), that the cons can hopefully be worked around and, eventually, erased.

All in all, Perovskites represent a quantum leap in solar energy technology. It is cheaper, more efficient, and lighter than silicon cell technology - and it comes at a time when we need to expand renewable energy usage to offset and eventually eliminate fossil fuel usage.

Credited Sources:

1. Chandler, David L. “Researchers Improve Efficiency of next-Generation Solar Cell Material.” MIT News Office | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 24 Feb. 2021, https://news.mit.edu/2021/photovoltaic-efficiency-solar-0224.

2. Mehar, Pranjal. “Scientists Set a New Efficiency Record for a Perovskite Solar Cell.” Tech Explorist, 25 Oct. 2021, https://www.techexplorist.com/scientists-new-efficiency-record-perovskite-solar-cell/41985/.

3. Zientara, Ben. “Perovskite Solar Cells: Why They're the Future of Solar Power.” Solar Reviews, Solar Reviews, 23 Apr. 2021, https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/are-perovskite-solar-cells-the-future-of-solar-power.