Perovskite Solar Cells Pass IEC Thermal Testing

Industry Related News: United States – May, 2020:

The booming landscape of solar energy conversion just hit an important new milestone in Sydney, Australia as Professor Anita Ho-Baillie and her team successfully passed the rigorous thermal testing of the International Electrotechnical Commission on their perovskite solar cell project. The metal halide perovskite compound is a potential contender to silicon, the most popular solar cell material at the moment, in terms of energy conversion and cost-effectiveness. In regards to its benefits over silicon, Professor Ho-Baillie said “They are very inexpensive, 500 times thinner than silicon and are therefore flexible and ultra-lightweight. They also have tremendous energy enabling properties and high solar conversion rates.” Professor Ho-Baillie is the inaugural John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at the University of Sydney, and adjunct professor and part of the research group in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales.

The main weak point keeping perovskite from absolute commercial viability is that unprotected perovskite cells are prone to degradation and releasing gas under high stress situations. They require the perfect low cost covering, coating, or composite to increase their durability. Despite these issues, these cells offer energy conversion rates similar to silicon cells already in only a quarter of the thermal testing and development time, and the most recent test results of Ho-Baillie’s compound show the potential of a massive breakthrough.

Professor Ho-Baillie’s team paired the perovskite cells with a “low-cost polymer-glass stack with a pressure-tight seal” in order to withstand the strict thermal cycling and temperature testing of the IEC. The prototypes experienced thermal cycling between -40 degrees and 85 degrees, and 85% humidity tests in order to analyze their endurance during outdoor use in all conditions. The perovskite solar cells “survived more than 1800 hours of the IEC “Damp Heat” test and 75 cycles of “Humidity Freeze” test” to pass onto the next step of fine tuning the compound prototypes and further improve their cost and durability. With continued research, development, and thermal cycling success, perovskite cells may become the gold standard for solar energy conversion in the near future.

Tech Xplore, “Next-generation Perovskite Solar Cells Pass Strict International Tests“ techxplore.com, May 21, 2020, Accessed 22 May 2020.

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