Perovskite

A touch of chili peppers can spice up just about any dish – and maybe, it turns out, even solar cells. Researchers have now found that adding a sprinkle of capsaicin to a perovskite precursor can improve the efficiency of solar cells.

Silicon has long been the gold standard for solar cells, but it’s approaching its limit. Perovskite is emerging as a promising partner, and now engineers have achieved a new efficiency record for this kind of tandem solar cell – almost 30 percent.

One drawback of current perovskite solar technology is the instability of the cells, a problem which scientists have taken a step toward addressing with a new design that incorporates an old organic pigment to keep things in working order.

Perovskite solar cells are rapidly catching up to silicon in efficiency, but continue to lag behind in production speed. Now Stanford has developed a new method of making perovskite solar cells at up to 40 ft per minute – even faster than silicon.

Perovskite solar is gaining much attention in solar cell research, but there are greener alternatives in the works. Scientists have just uncovered a new use for these materials, learning they can harvest energy from indoor lighting with high efficiency.

Scientists in Australia have happened upon a solution to one of the key instability issues facing perovskite solar technology, finding that doses of high-intensity light can be used to avoid deformations that plague the performance of the cell.

In a first, perovskite and organic solar cells have been tested in space. Not only did they perform well, but they’re much thinner and lighter than the silicon cells currently used and were even able to absorb diffuse light reflected back from Earth.

An international team of scientists has created a new type of solar flow battery that’s efficient and long-lasting. The device is made up of a silicon/perovskite tandem solar cell, paired with a redox flow battery, with organic chemical electrolytes.

Perovskite is emerging as a promising material for solar cells, but it has some durability problems. Now, engineers have developed a new electrode that could make them more stable, using a protective layer of "graphene armor."

Perovskites are synthetic compounds that – in some ways – are a better alternative to the silicon semiconductors currently utilized in solar cells. And while there are still some hurdles to be crossed, a new application process could soon help them enter widespread use.

It sounds counterintuitive to put solar cells indoors, but there’s light energy inside that’s largely going to waste. Now a team of engineers has created flexible perovskite solar cells with the highest efficiency of any indoor flexible solar cells.

Perovskite makes for efficient solar cells, but it’s a bit too fragile. Now, a team has found that adding one bulky molecule can stabilize the material, making it stackable in layers and opening up its usefulness in solar cells and other electronics.