An innovative global research team has developed a tandem solar cell with 30% more transparency due to the use of an amalgamation of perovskite and organic layers. Researchers from this CitySolar project have announced an all-time new efficiency record for these transparent “new photovoltaics” solar cells. So, with a 50% higher efficiency rate, it’s no wonder why transparent solar cells are being seen as the next big thing in terms of creating integrated energy solutions.
How did all this testing begin?
Researchers in the EU-funded the CitySolar project which includes partners from seven countries who were responsible for making a solar cell that generates electricity while simultaneously allowing light to pass through. The device created combines perovskite and organic solar cells. The combination of perovskite and organic solar cells allows the solar cell to capture different parts of the light spectrum.
Since the solar cell harvests the energy from the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the sun’s energy, new efficiency standards can be set for semi-transparent solar windows. The beauty part is that due to the cost-effectiveness of perovskite and other carbon-based minerals, the technology needed to create these tandem solar cells is rather affordable. To understand the strong interest in solar panels, citizens should consider why we need solar panels.
Possible hurdles faced by this CitySolar project
While cost-effectiveness has surely been considered by this CitySolar project, one of the biggest challenges faced by researchers is that of balancing costs with efficiency, and aesthetics. Despite the hurdle foreseen, the team is engaging in discussions with industry partners so as to identify the next steps and to consider further investments in order to beef up the technology required for commercial use. The team is adamant about seeing the production of these solar panels through so that they can be available for future construction projects.
The team also notes that there are still research improvements that ought to be made. Regardless of the research improvements that are required, the team feels pretty confident that they understand where the challenges lie, and as such, they are better equipped to overcome these challenges with the clear strategy that they have in mind.
Professor Morten Madsen (Professor from the University of Southern Denmark and a key researcher behind this innovation) said, “We can scale up what we have, but we need business partners.” Business partners are exactly what the research team is after and they are doing everything in their power to convince businesses of how efficient these innovative solar panels are.
Effectiveness of this new CitySolar solar cell
CitySolar states that the project is currently at a Technological Readiness Level (TRL) of between five and six and as such is somewhere between proof-of-concept and prototype stages. Thus far the CitySolar solar cell project has received funding from the EU equivalent to about €4 million. The hope behind this project and the large funding provided by the EU is for the building sector to be fully decarbonized. This is because the building sector currently accounts for 40% of the continent’s energy consumption.
The combination of the perovskite and organic solar cells alone led to an efficiency of 12.3%. The cells can therefore be used for building integrated photovoltaics and in turn windows can be transformed into solar panels. These solar panels may just be a step in pushing forward building-integrated energy solutions. The massive windows in office buildings can be used for energy production with no additional space required to the do the job.
According to CitySolar, the innovative transparent solar cell is meant to improve efficiency by about 50% in comparison to other traditional transparent photovoltaics. Thus, this international team is said to have gained a record efficiency for transparent solar cells. It is yet to be seen if this solar cell innovation will be more efficient than Sego Innovations’ first origami solar cell design.
