Project description
The making of flexible and more efficient solar cells
The commercialisation of solar cells hinges on power conversion efficiency and cost. Over 90 % of the world’s solar industry consists of single-junction crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. However, c-Si solar cells have some restrictions due to their non-mechanically flexible nature and their single-junction limit of efficiency. Lead-halide perovskites emerge as solutions for multi-junction solar cells because they are low-cost, efficient and bandgap tuneable. Moreover, the properties of perovskites allow additional applications in portable electronic instruments, vehicles, aircraft and drones as well as in wearable textiles. The EU-funded PeTSoC project aims at the development of a highly efficient lightweight and flexible all-perovskite triple-junction solar cell. The project is based on two different fields of photovoltaic research focussing on weight and flexibility, with high efficiency achieved by multi-junction technology.
Objective
Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources of the 21st century. For solar cells, the most important aspects for commercialization are power conversion efficiency and cost which can be combined into a €/W metric. Today, over 90% of the global solar industry is comprised of single-junction crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, however, c-Si solar cells have some limitations. The first is their non-mechanically flexible nature and second, their single-junction limit of efficiency which can be surpassed by multijunction technology. Lead-halide perovskites are generating substantial scientific and industrial interest because they are low-cost, highly efficient and bandgap tunable, key criteria for multijunction solar cells. Furthermore, perovskites can be deposited via thermal co-evaporation meaning that the devices in this project, can be made from start-to-finish entirely from industrially attractive vacuum deposition techniques. Unlike conventional c-Si, perovskites are a thin-film technology, which means they can be made into lightweight and flexible solar cells with a high power-to-weight ratio. Thus, they have additional applications for (1) portable electronic devices including smartphones and displays, (2) vehicles, drones and aircraft, (3) wearable textiles, and more. The project draws from two distinct areas of photovoltaics research, specifically lightweight and flexibility with high-efficiency achieved by multijunction technology, allowing it to compete competitively with crystalline silicon in conventional solar energy generation and niche applications. The experienced researcher will be joining StranksLab to build a strong fundamental photophysical understanding of thermally co-evaporated perovskite layers via state-of-the-art spectroscopy tools to target the development of a lightweight and flexible all-perovskite triple-junction solar cell with an efficiency >30%.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robotsdrones
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyphotovoltaic
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
CB2 1TN Cambridge
United Kingdom