Perovskite materials are cheaper to produce and better absorb higher-energy forms of light, so they could replace silicon in solar panel technology. Its downside is that scientists still don’t know how to make these perovskites stable and long-lasting.
In a new study, scientists have managed to significantly improve the efficiency of a particular type of this material, known as lead halide perovskite. By combining the perovskite with a metal substrate instead of glass, the light conversion efficiency was increased by 250%.
Although there is still a lot of work to be done for this technology to leave the laboratory and become a solar panelis another indication that these perovskite crystal structures could soon be the materials to turn to when it comes to increasing solar energy production.
The solar panels they work by using photons from sunlight to excite electrons from their place next to an atom to produce an electrical current. However, when the electrons and the holes they have left behind recombine, energy that could be used as electricity is lost as heat.
A material to increase the solar energy of the plates
The researchers found that by adding a metal substrate they could reduce recombination and increase efficiency. The team also showed that alternating layers of metal and dielectric (insulating) material as the substrate for the light-absorbing perovskite could improve efficiency rates in the same way.
The metal substrate acts like a mirror, reversing the arrangement of electrons and holes generated by photons. It is an example of how improvements in solar cell technology do not necessarily have to involve the absorbing material itself.
Although the efficiency of perovskites continues to improve, the longevity of these materials is the main stumbling block to their widespread adoption. The best path could be its use in combination with silicon in solar panels.
The study researchers believe that combinations of metals with perovskites can still be improved using this method, allowing better control of solar panels and how they convert light into energy. electricity. The future has to be solar and these are key steps for it.