Perovskite Energizes Solar Market by 1kiki

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Perovskite Energizes Solar Market

POSTED BY: 1KIKI
UPDATED: Friday, May 9, 2014 18:16
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Thursday, May 8, 2014 11:22 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2014/04/perovskite-energizes-s
olar-market?et_cid=3908835&et_rid=366206770&type=headline

Perovskite Energizes Solar Market

New research from scientists at the Univ. of Bath will help in the development of perovskite solar cells that have the potential to revolutionize the solar energy market.

Since being unveiled last year, researchers around the globe have been excited by the prospect of perovskite solar cells. These cells are both highly efficient at converting the sun’s rays to electricity and cheap and easy to produce.

Recently published research from the Materials Design Group, within the Department of Chemistry, explains how and why these cells work so well which will help in the future development of solar technologies.

Prof. Aron Walsh, who leads the Materials Design Group, explains, “Hybrid perovskites are an exciting development for solar energy research. The field is rapidly progressing, but the devices have been developing faster than our fundamental understanding of how they work.”

Perovskites combine organic and inorganic chemistry to mimic a crystal structure found in a natural mineral perovskite discovered in Russia in 1839. Using the UK’s largest supercomputer, the researchers at Bath have been able to model the chemical and physical properties of these materials.

The first publication, led by Federico Brivio as part of Bath’s DESTINY Initial Training Network, in Physical Review B details how the quantum mechanical interaction between electrons and their rapid motion in these materials allows them to absorb sunlight so strongly.

The second, led by Jarvist Frost as part of an EPSRC energy materials consortium, in Nano Letters, reveals the mechanisms by which the materials can convert sunlight to electricity. This is distinct from previous generations of solar cells because of the role of organic molecules not present in natural perovskite minerals.

Commentators suggest that if people could capture approximately 1 percent of the sunlight falling on the UK and turn it into electricity, they would meet current energy demands. With recent studies suggesting that new solar cells using perovskites could create efficiencies pushing 20 percent, such technologies could elevate solar power in the UK at a cost that could compete with fossil fuels.

Such high efficiencies would also make perovskites competitive with existing commercial silicon solar cells while at the same time being much cheaper to produce in high volumes. Suitable for incorporating into roofing materials and glass panels, new solar technologies could soon be a common feature in city architecture.

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Friday, May 9, 2014 12:52 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I thought the current solar cells are at about 20% efficiency. (Part of the last few percentages in increased efficiency were from changes in configuration... narrowing down the frame and moving the connections so they no longer take up surface area, leading to a topping out at the actual physical efficiency of about 20%).

So, the advantage is.. cost?

ETA- OH, DUH. I just read the last paragraph...

Quote:
Such high efficiencies would also make perovskites competitive with existing commercial silicon solar cells while at the same time being much cheaper to produce in high volumes. Suitable for incorporating into roofing materials and glass panels, new solar technologies could soon be a common feature in city architecture.

I hope it comes true.

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Friday, May 9, 2014 3:31 PM

REAVERFAN

Renewables are the future. Fracking and shale oil are not. Why don't we stop subsidizing the most profitable energy barons and put that money into getting things like this working for us?

Oh, yeah. The Kochs, the Republicans, etc.

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Friday, May 9, 2014 5:29 PM

WHOZIT

Quote:
Originally posted by reaverfan:
Renewables are the future. Fracking and shale oil are not. Why don't we stop subsidizing the most profitable energy barons and put that money into getting things like this working for us?

Oh, yeah. The Kochs, the Republicans, etc.

Spare me, if there was money to be made in this crap Republicans would be on top of this.

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Friday, May 9, 2014 6:16 PM

KPO

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.

Encouraging, hopefully the tech lives up to the hype.

It's not personal. It's just war.

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