The Perovskite Tipping Point: Is the Next Solar Revolution Finally Here?
In recent years, a few technologies – besides your obvious fusion and modular nukes –have teased us into thinking that commercialization might be just around the corner. One of those is solid state batteries, and another is the perovskite solar cell.
These are solar cells made from the mineral perovskite - a calcium titanium oxide and they are promising because they can be easily deposited onto most types of surfaces, even flexible or textured ones. Perovskites can capture certain spectra of sunlight not typically harvested by typical PV panels. If you add perovskites on top of PV modules, you can build a more efficient solar sandwich.
These hybrids can increase typical PV efficiencies from 22% to 28 or 30%, which may not sound like much, but if you can boost relative performance by 25% or more, translates into cost savings - especially for land and racking structures.
However, perovskites have been difficult to work with in creating durable solutions that match the 20-25 year lifespan of PV panels. They’re more fragile, and susceptible to the presence of high heat, high humidity and UV light.
Recent announcements are cause for optimism. Tandem PV is building a 65,000 sq foot factory in California that will layer Tandem’s perovskite glass over conventional PV to boost efficiencies into that 30% range. It plans to prove that it can manufacture perovskites on high-speed assembly lines, a big challenge to date.
And U.S. start-up companies Caelux and Solx announced a five-year strategic partnership to integrate Caelux’s perovskite glass into Solx panels, bringing 3,000 MW of modules to market, with estimated conversion efficiencies of 28%. The companies plan to deliver commercial volumes by next year.
In addition, the DOE announced it is developing performance and durability targets for hybrid perovskite PV panels to be finalized this year. It will also collaborate with national laboratories to develop a bankability framework, creating greater confidence among potential investors and insurance companies.