Cheap, highly efficient solar cells: A new stable and cost-cutting type of perovskite solar cell

Cheap, highly efficient solar cells: A new stable and cost-cutting type of perovskite solar cell

Perovskite solar cells show tremendous promise in propelling solar power into the marketplace. The cells use a hole-transportation layer, which promotes the efficient movement of electrical current after exposure to sunlight. However, manufacturing the hole-transportation organic materials is very costly and lack long term stability.

Publishing in Science, a team of scientists in China, led by Professor Hongwei Han in cooperation with Professor Michael Grätzel at EPFL, have developed a perovskite solar cell that does not use a hole-transporting layer, with 12.8% conversion efficiency and over 1000 hours stability under full sunlight in ambient temperature. The innovation can reduce the cost of perovskite cells, and firmly propel them into the marketplace.

Hybrid organic-inorganic methylammonium lead halide perovskites have attracted intense attention for thin-film photovoltaics, due to their large absorption coefficient, high charge carrier mobility and long diffusion length. However, these cells are also costly because of the hole-transportation layer, which demands high purity materials and complicated fabrication procedures.

A team of scientists at the Michael Grätzel Center for Mesoscopic Cells of Huazhong University in China in cooperation with the Laboratory for Photonics and Interfaces at EPFL directed by Michael Grätzel have successfully manufactured a perovskite solar cell that does not need a hole-transportation layer. The solar cell shows comparative energy conversion efficiency (12.8%) and was shown to be stable for over 1000 hours in direct sun exposure.

The scientists fabricated the new solar cell by drop-casting a solution of lead iodide, methylammonium iodide, and 5-ammoniumvaleric acid iodide through a porous carbon film. The solar cell's scaffolding was made using a double layer of titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide covered by a porous carbon film and amino acid templating agent was used to promote the pervoskite nucleation and crystal growth within the pores . The resulting perovskite crystals showed much higher electrical charge generation and collection efficiency than conventional hole conductor free perovskite cells. The use of organic-hole conductor free triple layer also resulted in strikingly high stability.

This could lead to everyone having solar panels on their homes & on all businesses.
I'm not sure if a similar method could be used for the solar roadways Solar Roadways so that it is cheaper as well. If so than that is sweet!

I have to say that I have given up on the "cheaper" solar "thing".

Over the years I have seen countless breakthroughs and nothing has materialized.

It's great on paper, but not corporate profits.

And when solar is finished with, and we have moved on to the next type of power generation there will be so much solar pollution i bet it will stack to the moon and back. Not to mention all the pollution created just to make solar. But you cant tell that to anyone can ya. not so green solar power.

originally posted by: Legion2024
And when solar is finished with, and we have moved on to the next type of power generation there will be so much solar pollution i bet it will stack to the moon and back. Not to mention all the pollution created just to make solar. But you cant tell that to anyone can ya. not so green solar power.

Well if you are worried about all the pollution caused just to create solar panels then you must not recycle either. Recycling causes tons of pollution what with all the transportation involved.

1. Drive your recycling materials to the recycling depot (or have a big truck go around collecting it all, which has more pollution getting into the air)

2. Recycling depot sorts through materials & sends the stuff they can't recycle onto a truck to deliver it to the nearest port.

3. A boat then brings those materials to China where they are recycled.

4. Those recycled materials get sent off...god knows where but more pollution is created to do so.

That's not even including the bleaching process that usually ends up getting into the soil.

a reply to: knoledgeispower

I am worried about all the pollution created land air and sea. At this time i was commenting on solar alone, nothing more nothing less, But if you want to discuss other types no drama at all we will be here all month maybe all year chatting about it.

Where i live we have two rubbish collections one is general house hold rubbish that is sent to the tip then over time gas is extracted to help run the gas power station a few miles away, the other bin is a recycle bin and yes i do.

originally posted by: Legion2024
And when solar is finished with, and we have moved on to the next type of power generation there will be so much solar pollution i bet it will stack to the moon and back. Not to mention all the pollution created just to make solar. But you cant tell that to anyone can ya. not so green solar power.

Indeed.

The Not-So-Sunny Side of Solar Panels

“There’s an irony, you’re trying to save the environment by buying a solar panel, and the manufacture (of solar panels) is emitting greenhouse gases in the process,” says Ray Weiss, a professor of geochemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Electricity is used to manufacture solar panels, resulting in greenhouse gases — and some other kinds of emissions stem from solar panel production as well.

Weiss’ research focuses on trace gases like nitrogen trifluoride, or NF3, a greenhouse gas 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. NF3 is commonly used in the manufacture of electronics and some solar panels. The gas is confined but a fraction often escapes during the process. In October, Weiss and other scientists found NF3 levels were increasing at 11 percent each year, although the cause is unclear. Production of some other panels involves another gas called sulfur hexafluoride — the most potent greenhouse gas known to science.

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: Legion2024
And when solar is finished with, and we have moved on to the next type of power generation there will be so much solar pollution i bet it will stack to the moon and back. Not to mention all the pollution created just to make solar. But you cant tell that to anyone can ya. not so green solar power.

Indeed.

The Not-So-Sunny Side of Solar Panels

“There’s an irony, you’re trying to save the environment by buying a solar panel, and the manufacture (of solar panels) is emitting greenhouse gases in the process,” says Ray Weiss, a professor of geochemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Electricity is used to manufacture solar panels, resulting in greenhouse gases — and some other kinds of emissions stem from solar panel production as well.

Weiss’ research focuses on trace gases like nitrogen trifluoride, or NF3, a greenhouse gas 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. NF3 is commonly used in the manufacture of electronics and some solar panels. The gas is confined but a fraction often escapes during the process. In October, Weiss and other scientists found NF3 levels were increasing at 11 percent each year, although the cause is unclear. Production of some other panels involves another gas called sulfur hexafluoride — the most potent greenhouse gas known to science.

The way I see it, the pollution from solar panels is better than the risk we take with nuclear power plants.
We're damned if we do, damned if we don't so let's take the lesser of evils (so to speak)

Could the study you used above be a made up study that TPTB have created in order to keep solar panel production at a minimum because they are already so heavily invested in the current methods we use? After all, we know how much corporations hate to lose money & how they will do anything to keep that from happening, including falsifying studies.

I mean, can't we just get real and conclude that we already done mucked up this environment, and harvested a good chunk of the energy resources?

I just can't see homo sapiens rocking civilization through the end of this century on this planet. Every alternative has it's own set of problems, and the problems are just stacking up as me move on with "progress".

It seems the only way through this mess is out into the stars. I have to periodically conclude this, but for discussion sake of a variety of other subjects, choose to omit this incredibly pertinent information. Everything else basically doesn't matter when we realize we're just so screwed staying on this planet much longer.

originally posted by: knoledgeispower

The way I see it, the pollution from solar panels is better than the risk we take with nuclear power plants.
We're damned if we do, damned if we don't so let's take the lesser of evils (so to speak)

I don't like nuclear power plants either. But choosing between evil A and evil B is no longer an option in the times we currently find ourselves. We've slid down that road far enough. Instead, we need to start asking ourselves why we need all this crap. Do we even need it at all? Is our dependence on technology good... or not? These are uncomfortable questions.

Quitting one drug by transitioning to another, you see.

Could the study you used above be a made up study that TPTB have created in order to keep solar panel production at a minimum because they are already so heavily invested in the current methods we use?

Absolutely. Anything could be.

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: knoledgeispower

The way I see it, the pollution from solar panels is better than the risk we take with nuclear power plants.
We're damned if we do, damned if we don't so let's take the lesser of evils (so to speak)

I don't like nuclear power plants either. But choosing between evil A and evil B is no longer an option in the times we currently find ourselves. We've slid down that road far enough. Instead, we need to start asking ourselves why we need all this crap. Do we even need it at all? Is our dependence on technology good... or not? These are uncomfortable questions.

Quitting one drug by transitioning to another, you see.

Could the study you used above be a made up study that TPTB have created in order to keep solar panel production at a minimum because they are already so heavily invested in the current methods we use?

Absolutely. Anything could be.

I wish we could go back to a more simple time but too many people love technology for that to happen, save a crazy cataclysm happening that forces us back.

I'm not sure what other options we have that in one way or another doesn't cause problems. Even doing things in space runs the risk of bad things happening.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I mean, can't we just get real and conclude that we already done mucked up this environment, and harvested a good chunk of the energy resources?

I just can't see homo sapiens rocking civilization through the end of this century on this planet. Every alternative has it's own set of problems, and the problems are just stacking up as me move on with "progress".

It seems the only way through this mess is out into the stars. I have to periodically conclude this, but for discussion sake of a variety of other subjects, choose to omit this incredibly pertinent information. Everything else basically doesn't matter when we realize we're just so screwed staying on this planet much longer.

Let's go destroy another planet because this one is ruined. If aliens exist, I doubt they will let us do anything out in space. We might be able to do some mining but I don't think we will be able to go far.

a reply to: knoledgeispower

Tbh if they do exist they to would have the same kinda issues unless they are making something out of nothing that is with no manufacturing off sets. I think be for the next jump in technology we should have to learn how to deal with our offsets as they are now. I think this will be humans biggest issues. Something like Wall-E comes to mind.

... its such a waste of time to use either when the alternative is genuinely free ...

originally posted by: knoledgeispower

Let's go destroy another planet because this one is ruined. If aliens exist, I doubt they will let us do anything out in space. We might be able to do some mining but I don't think we will be able to go far.

What bizarre assumptions. Just because we're making this planet uninhabitable for our own species, doesn't mean we're "destroying" it, nor is this an indication that we can't learn from our mistakes, and start fresh with a wiser outlook. The whole trying to figure out the mind of aliens, is about the same as trying to figure out the mind of god... it's ridiculous, and likely a form of projection. I see no good reason to think we can't get off this planet and reach a new earth. In fact, I think that was the whole reason behind the trillions of dollars which seem to have been funneled into the black budget via the shadow banking system in the last decade.

What does it matter when solar energy will be made illegal by TPTB?

They would never allow these products to be in the hand of the regular joe in mass.

Spain:
www.thelocal.es...

America:
www.wsbtv.com...

I do not believe that most of you are seeing the long term effects of solar. Right now you can get good panels for about 25cents per watt. You can put up 20 or so and not have to deal with them for about 20 to 30 yrs. I do see where production of panals needs to include there own use. The majority of the panel is recyclable. We have the tech. to make this work but we tend to be set in our ways. Perhaps what we need first is a complete failure of the eletric grid to learn how great the suns energy really is. The part that really need advancment is not the panals but the inverters and our appliances do not need to be ac anymore. Too much energy is lost in conversion and with panels on your home there is no need to send all that energy down the line via ac.

a reply to: deadeyedick

Batteries don't last 2-3 decades, and are still pretty expensive. Not all of the components will last 2-3 decades in a solar system. It was already mentioned the environmental damage involved in production of panels. You can't just wish away producing billions of solar panels to replace fossil fuels (which isn't even possible, anyways), and try to look blindly forward.

12.8% conversion efficiency and over 1000 hours stability under full sunlight

Is that a good deal?

originally posted by: PhoenixOD

12.8% conversion efficiency and over 1000 hours stability under full sunlight

Is that a good deal?

No, talk to me when they reach 500,000 hours of stability under full sunlight.

1000 hours is not even a year of use. 6 hour of full sunlight a day x 365 days a year =2190 hours

Just more chinese junk that quits working shortly after you try to use it.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese

originally posted by: knoledgeispower

Let's go destroy another planet because this one is ruined. If aliens exist, I doubt they will let us do anything out in space. We might be able to do some mining but I don't think we will be able to go far.

What bizarre assumptions. Just because we're making this planet uninhabitable for our own species, doesn't mean we're "destroying" it, nor is this an indication that we can't learn from our mistakes, and start fresh with a wiser outlook. The whole trying to figure out the mind of aliens, is about the same as trying to figure out the mind of god... it's ridiculous, and likely a form of projection. I see no good reason to think we can't get off this planet and reach a new earth. In fact, I think that was the whole reason behind the trillions of dollars which seem to have been funneled into the black budget via the shadow banking system in the last decade.

As a whole, when was the last time we learned from our mistakes? We keep making them and with TPTB we will never move forward in the direction that we need to & the direction you are talking about.

If the people who are involved in the shadow banking system were to be able to leave the Earth & go off to find a new place to inhabit, do you really think they will be taking the poor people? Or is it more possible that only the best, brightest & richest will be going while the rest of us are left on Earth? I think it will be the latter.