perovskite solar cells a promising technology for next generation photovoltaic devices

Technical description● Category of the entry:Renewable energy technologies,solar technology advances● General name of the entry: Perovskite solar cell PSC● Designer information:According

The Most Influential Scientific and Technological

Achievement Proposal Award

ENGLISH FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FINAL PROJECT – CASE STUDY

Perovskite Solar Cells - a promising technology for next-generation

photovoltaic devices

Hanoi, 2023

Bui Thi Huyen - 22040536 Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc - 22040525

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I Executive Summary 3

II Technical description 3

III Evaluation Report 5

Innovation in design, concept and technological application 5

Suitability for use 8

User-friendliness 9

Advantages 9

Contributions 10

References 12

I Executive Summary

Perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a class of solar cells based on mixed organic–inorganic halide perovskites The very first efficient solid-state perovskite cells were reported in 2012 and had rapid progress in the following years The confirmed efficiency of PSC had a continuous increase and is still far from fully optimized, bringing a tantalizing prospect of higher energy conversion efficiencies and significantly lower processing costs PSC has numerous advantages, such as ease of production, strong solar absorption, low non-radiative carrier recombination rates, and reasonably high carrier mobility; however, there are some drawbacks, including toxic issues from lead or quite rapid degradation (Green, M et al., 2014) This report will provide some background information about PSC’s technical description and also the reasons for nominating it By presenting a compelling case for the significant contributions of PSCs to the field of renewable energy, this nomination seeks to honor their influence and potential as a transformative force in the scientific and technological landscape

II Technical description

● Category of the entry:Renewable energy technologies,solar technology advances

● General name of the entry: Perovskite solar cell (PSC)

● Designer information:

According to BCC Research Report "Perovskite Solar Cells: Materials, Manufacturing and Global Markets" by Margareth Gagliardi, the inception of perovskite solar cells can be traced back to the year 1839, when an esteemed German scientist named Gustav Rose while traveling to Russia, fortuitously stumbled upon a novel calcium titanate-based mineral in the Ural Mountains (Gagliardi, M., 2018) The first incorporation of perovskite materials into a solar cell was reported in 2009 by Tsutomu Miyasaka from Toin University of Yokohama, Japan, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society That solar cell had a power conversion efficiency of only 3.8 percent In 2012, Mike Lee and Henry Snaith from the University of Oxford made a breakthrough discovery that perovskites can remain stable when

in contact with holes in solids This led to the development of thin-film perovskite solar cells without the need for a mesoporous scaffold, which has achieved impressive efficiencies of over 10% This trend has continued, with new records for single-junction perovskite solar cell

efficiency being set every year since 2015 Furthermore, since at least 2016, perovskite silicon tandem solar cell records have consistently surpassed those of single-junction solar cells In 2018, researchers from Oxford Solar Power and Berlin-Helmholtz-Zentrum have alternately broken this record It is predicted that in 2022, the latter will achieve a record efficiency of 32.5%

● Technical description:

Perovskite solar cells are a type of thin-film solar cell that utilizes a perovskite-structure compound as the light-absorbing layer In this context, perovskite or perovskite structure refers to the general chemical structure adapted from a mineral called perovskite The structure of a perovskite solar cell can be described as basically three layers, similar to other third-generation photovoltaic cells (including new concepts of batteries such as concentrator batteries, quantum dot batteries, and dye-sensitized batteries) (Tycoon Energy, 2022) Three layers include the perovskite absorbing layer sandwiched in between two electrode layers However, in reality, there are more than just three layers in a perovskite solar cell to improve effectiveness Another layer might be set between the perovskite and electrodes as well, aiming to draw out specific charges

Figure 1: The typical arrangement of a perovskite solar cell includes a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), an electron transport layer (ETL), the light-absorbing perovskite material, a hole transporting layer (HTL), and a metal electrode (Source: ResearchGate).

Perovskite solar panels use sunlight to convert to electricity When sunlight strikes the panel, the photons in the light are absorbed by the perovskite absorbing layer This absorption

causes electrons to be released from their atoms, leaving behind "holes" in the surface (which are the missing electrons) The free electrons and holes, referred to as electron-hole pairs, get separated by an electric field within the perovskite substance This separation drives the electrons to flow towards one electrode, while the holes flow towards the other electrode As

a result, an electric current is generated from this flow, which then can be used to power devices The electrodes are connected to an external circuit, which allows the current to flow out of the panel and be used to power devices The circuit also ensures that the electrons and holes recombine at the electrodes, preventing the loss of energy

Figure 2: A simplified diagram of how perovskite solar cells work (Source: SolarReviews).

III Evaluation Report

Innovation in design, concept and technological application

What first makes perovskite solar cells stand out as the most influential advancement at the moment is their groundbreaking innovations in design, concept and technological application Firstly, perovskite solar panels’ success partially results from its distinctive design structure compared to conventional counterparts, especially the popular silicon-based ones PSCs employ a class of materials characterized by a perovskite crystal lattice arrangement, typically composed of mixed organic-inorganic halide perovskites in an ABX3 structure

Figure 3: The crystalline perovskite structure (Source: ResearchGate).

In an ABX3 pattern, 'A' represents an organic cation (such as methylammonium or formamidinium), 'B' indicates a metal cation (like lead or tin), and 'X' denotes a halide anion (for instance, iodide or bromide) (Ghosh et al., 2022) In contrast, silicon cells rely on a crystalline lattice made of pure silicon atoms Because of that, when making perovskite solar cells, their properties or materials can be tailored or adjusted to receive the highest amount of energy across a broader spectrum, which is hugely limited in silicon's rigid lattice structure (Williams, 2023) And as a result, this flexibility and tunability of perovskite solar cells paves the way for its enhanced light absorption capabilities and overall efficiency

Secondly, perovskite solar cells are actualizing the concept of improving efficiency while lowering manufacturing costs As the efficiency of these cells is of considerable significance, more energy will be absorbed in every cell, enabling the production of thinner cell films, and consequently reducing material cost It is recorded by Oxford PV (2020), a pioneer company

in the field of perovskite solar cells, that the power generation of 35kg of perovskite equals that of 7 tons of silicon, which indicates the use of materials in producing solar panels can be reduced by a hundred times In addition, their cost-effective manufacturing using flexible techniques like solution-based deposition further drives down production expenses

Another noteworthy innovation of perovskite cells lies in their potential for tandem cell integration and exploration in various applications Tandem solar cells are made from two or more types of solar cells with the aim of absorbing as much sunlight as possible and minimizing the spectral limitations in each type of cell Researchers have been experimenting

to integrate perovskite cells with other solar cell types and gained the very first success in a

perovskite-silicon tandem cell (Cuthbertson, 2023) This perovskite-silicon tandem cell breaks the current world record for solar cell efficiency, marking at 32.5% – higher than perovskite and silicon cells separately By investing in this technology, it is just in the near future to achieve a higher overall efficiency of solar technology What is more, the potential integration into unconventional surfaces and settings is another notable application of solar cells from perovskite The flexibility in the fabrication of perovskite cells enables the creation

of thin, lightweight, and even bendable films As a result, the thin-film nature of these perovskite cells opens doors for diverse applications, from integrating solar technology into building materials like windows to developing portable and flexible electronic devices such

as wearable electronics or transparent coatings for structures This adaptability marks a departure from the rigid structures of traditional solar cells, ushering in a new era of versatile solar technology

Figure 4: Perovskite photovoltaic glass was established in a model house in Fujisawa

Sustainable Smart Town (Source: Panasonic Group).

With all these innovative and creative aspects, perovskite batteries are considered to be a good candidate for an alternative solution, overcoming the limitations of silicon batteries -this is also what all technological developments aim for (Mr Ted Sargent - Teacher Professor

at the Department of Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northwestern University (USA))

Suitability for use

Perovskite solar cells have sparked considerable interest due to their potential to revolutionize the solar industry especially when it comes to their suitability for use The first development potential is its highly efficient power generation It was reported in 2009 by Tsutomu Miyasaka and colleagues that perovskite-based solar cells had a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.8% According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2022), perovskite cells exhibit remarkable efficiency gains at above 26.1%, and it is expected that this figure will increase to over 30% in the near future

Figure 5: The efficiency records for perovskite PV cells, compared to other PV technologies, show a current best of 25.7% for single-junction perovskite cells, as of January 26, 2022

(Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory).

In addition to the potential for high energy conversion efficiency, perovskite solar cells have lower production costs than silicon-based cells due to their low energy-intensive construction method, requiring low temperatures and expensive equipment, making them an appealing option for large-scale renewable energy deployment

User-friendliness

Perovskite solar cells are a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells due to their lightweight and flexible nature This allows for easy installation on various surfaces such as glass, plastic, or metal They can also be seamlessly integrated into different applications, including curved surfaces like building facades or wearable devices, offering a high level of design flexibility and adaptability Unlike traditional silicon solar cells, perovskite solar cells can be produced in a variety of colors and patterns, making them more visually appealing and adaptable to different environments This adds an element of customization and personalization for users Additionally, perovskite solar cells have a wide range of potential applications, including rooftop solar panels, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), wearable electronics, and flexible solar panels Their versatility makes them a more user-friendly option for a broader spectrum of users

Figure 6: Colored perovskite solar cells

Advantages

It is undeniable that perovskite solar cells have significant advantages of performance, applicability and sustainability for users due to their advanced structures such as flexible

cells, cells with a carbon electrode, semi transparent cells, tandem cells or “switchable” cells (Zuo et al., 2016) Firstly, perovskites technology can easily manufacture and decrease capital expenditure because they rely on abundant materials, such as methyl ammonia, lead, and iodine Secondly, the band gap of perovskite solar cells can be modified through control of the composition of the perovskite material Besides, perovskite materials can absorb wide wavelengths of light, which makes them suitable for unique applications like Agrivoltaics, tandem to complement Silicon or other PV materials and to be placed in places where silicon PVs do not function well Moreover, perovskite-based solar cells are showing an impressive rise in efficiency over the last decade and recent studies have even passed 30% while silicon-based solar cells are limited to around 29%, which hopefully will allow for high-performance and low-cost PVs PSCs also have a lower weight than glass-based silicon PVs Another advantage is that perovskite materials can be printed or painted over flexible surfaces and enable solar windows, entire rooftops and more since they are solution-processable Not only can perovskite materials enable transparent panels to be integrated into buildings or devices, but they are also high return on investment Furthermore, soluble production processes are highly efficient in terms of energy and material waste Last but not least, most perovskite panels can be recyclable, even reach 100% recyclability rate (The Advantages of Perovskite Solar Technology, 2023)

Contributions

Perovskite solar cells made a major contribution to solar energy exploitation with high efficiency Based on the huge advantages, PSCs are used in many technologies from photodetector, wearable power source to water photolysis (Zuo et al., 2016) Actually, there is

a company named Saule Technologies which created innumerable promising PSCs’ applications Firstly, in 2016, the first real-life application of perovskite solar cells which is a mobile phone charger that operates under artificial light was introduced Secondly, a semi-transparent, A4-sized perovskite module was created in 2018 and tested internationally

in Poland and Japan Last but not least, solar carport, a charging station for electric vehicles,

is the third application of PSCs in the electromobility market (Saule Technologies, n.d.) All

of the mentioned applications have the potential for mass production and are widely used Steve Albrecht, a perovskite researcher at the Technical University of Berlin, talked about the PSCs’ potential that the material was going to be scaled to a large volume in the near future (Peplow, 2023)

Figure 7: Mobile phone charger (Source: Saule Technologies).

Figure 8: A4 - sized perovskite module (Source: Saule Technologies).

Figure 9: Solar Carport (Source: Saule Technologies).

In a nutshell, this report includes three main content sections namely executive summary, technical description, and nomination for the nominee Perovskites Solar Cells The material

of PSCs is outstanding in concept and design, user-friendliness, and creative use of technology This achievement is promising and potential to be widely used in the efficient exploitation of solar power if they can address the stability issue

References

1 BCC Research Editorial (2022, July 5) A History of Perovskite Solar Cells BCC Research Blog.https://blog.bccresearch.com/a-history-of-perovskite-solar-cells

2 Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart (n.d.) Photovoltaic Research | NREL.

https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cell-efficiency.html

3 Cuthbertson, A (2023, May 19) Solar panel efficiency to increase 50% with first

production of ‘miracle’ tandem cells The Independent.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/solar-panels-perovskite-renewable-energy-b2342 287.html