A Printable Solar Cell as Big as a Standard Sheet of Paper

In a huge renewable energy breakthrough, researchers from Swansea University have printed a perovskite solar module the size of a standard sheet of paper.

The module is the size of an A4 sheet of paper (8.3 x 11.7 in), 6x bigger than similar 10x10 cm2 modules of this type, all the more special because perovskite is a cheaper alternative to silicon.

The Carbon Perovskite Solar Cell is a tad less efficient than traditional perovskite, which reaches power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 22%, but the Swansea team still achieved great results – 6.3% at the "1 sun" standard, 11% PCE at 200 lux, and 18% PCE at 1000 lux.

Standard silicon cells are generally more efficient, and multi-junction concentrator solar cells own the current world record at 46% PCE, but silicon is notoriously expensive. Higher efficiencies are great, but if no one can afford it outside of labs, it doesn’t much matter.

"Our work shows that perovskite solar cells can deliver good performance even when produced on a larger scale than reported so far within the scientific community. This is vital in making it economical and appealing for industry to manufacture them,” said Dr Francesca De Rossi of Swansea University.

Read more here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181002102851.htm