perovskites

Other testing in more intense conditions has found less positive results, with one academic study finding that perovskite cells in hot and humid Saudi Arabia lost 20% of their efficiency after one year of operation.  Those results are for one year of testing. How can we tell what will happen in 30 years?  Since we don’t have years to test every new material that scientists dream up, researchers often put them through especially punishing conditions in the lab, bumping up the temperature and shining bright lights onto…

By David L. Chandler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology July 20, 2022Perovskites are widely seen as the likely platform for next-generation solar cells, replacing silicon because of its easier manufacturing process, lower cost, and greater flexibility. Just what is this unusual, complex crystal and why does it have such great potential? Credit: Jose-Luis Olivares and Christine Daniloff, MITThis family of crystalline compounds is at the forefront of research pursuing alternatives to silicon.Perovskites have great…

But stability remains a tough challenge.  In one recent study, published in Science in April, researchers discovered a new way to build perovskite solar cells with additives that improved efficiency and lifetime. The cells withstood 1,500 hours of high heat and humidity in the lab.  The problem is translating these results into the real world. It’s hard for researchers to simulate real-world conditions, and silicon has set a high bar, with many manufacturers guaranteeing that their panels will maintain 80% of their…