Perovskite

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.

Windows capable of harvesting energy from the sun have been on the horizon for a number of years, but they're yet to help cut down a building's energy costs. A new development from Australian researchers may change that.

Solar cells are constantly improving on the road to maximum efficiency. Now, three records have been broken by two different devices, including one that pushes the highest overall solar conversion efficiency towards the 50-percent mark.

The Sun is a great source of energy, but of course those rays can be damaging as well. Engineers in Korea have now developed a new way to make perovskite solar cells to protect them from the elements without reducing their efficiency.

Stacking perovskite solar cells on top of silicon ones is one way to increase the amount of sunlight harnessed. Now researchers at Australian National University (ANU) have broken a new efficiency record for these tandem solar cells.

Engineers at MIT are developing a way to turn the humble RFID tag into a light-powered sensor for the internet of things.

Silicon is fast approaching its theoretical limit for solar efficiency, but pairing it up with other materials could help break through. Researchers have developed a new technique for combining silicon and perovskite solar cells, and reported a new record efficiency of 25.2 percent.