PEROVSKITE THE FUTURE!!

When we think of solar energy, the first thing that comes to mind is a black covering of material that, when exposed to sunlight, converts solar energy into electrical energy.

How is electricity harnessed from sunlight?

When sunlight strikes a solar cell or photovoltaic (PV) cell, it can be reflected, absorbed, or passed straight through the cell and some manufacturers provide an anti-reflecting coating on the solar plans to get maximum efficiency.?

The primary compound of a PV cell is a semiconductor material. When exposed to light, it will absorb the energy [From the sunlight]?and converts it to negatively charged particles in the material known as electrons. A flow electron is known as electricity.

Talking about efficiency?

The PV cell's efficiency is simply the quantity of electrical power flowing from the cell to the energy from the light falling on it.

or

How successful the cells are at converting energy from one form to another.

In the solar panel industry, silicon panels are by far the most common semiconductor material used in solar cells, accounting for around 95 percent of all modules marketed today moreover they are the second most plentiful mineral on the planet (after oxygen) and the most often utilized semiconductor in computer chips. The silicon crystal lattice offers a structured structure that improves the efficiency of light-to-electricity conversion.

The main advantages are?

• Availability?
• Low cost
• Extended lifetime
• Highly durable?

The disadvantages include?

• Requires expensive manufacturing technologies?
• ?Highly energy-intensive process [ For Purification of silicon temperature heating is needed ]

PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELL

Perovskite is a mineral made up of calcium titanium oxide. The mineral perovskite was discovered in 1839 by Russian scientist Gustav Rose, and its potential was discovered a decade later.?

The Perovskite unique crystalline structure was one of the many factors. They generally have the chemical formula ABX3, where 'A' and 'B' are cations, X is an anion that links to both. Perovskites are semiconductors that carry electric charges when light strikes the substance.

SO WHY USE PEROVSKITE INSTEAD OF SILICON!

The efficiency of perovskite solar cells has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 28% in 2021. The potential of this material is limitless. OXFORD PV is a UK-based company that produced a PV cell that is 29.5% efficient.

So why does perovskite have higher efficiency? [ ADAVTAGES ] Because:

• ?Wider bandgap:?An ideal bandgap for 1.4 Electron volt, for perovskite solar cells it has a bandgap of 1.5 Electron volt. Thus perovskite could take in a much larger layer of solar energy from 380nm of visible light to nearly 800nm infrared light whereas silicon solar cells could only take in solar energy from 500nm of visible light to 700nm infrared light.
• Carbon footprint / Cheap / less production time:?Another fact of perovskite solar cell is that it is much greener than silicon solar cell in the case of?carbon footprint. "Life cycle energy utilization and environmental implications of high-performance perovskite tandem solar cells," which was published on July 31, 2021, compared the carbon emissions while producing different photovoltaic cells. The carbon emission in producing silicon-based cells is much greater than that of the perovskite once. The purification techniques of silicon involve heating them at high temperatures. On the other hand, perovskite solar cells are manufactured using a screen printing technique which is inexpensive and reduces manufacturing time significantly.

• ?Energy?payback period:??The energy payback period for perovskite solar panels is four months whereas for a silicon solar panel its is around 1.5 years.

In a research paper by students of University Tenaga Nasional titled " A Review on Comparison between Traditional Silicon Solar Cells and Thin- Film CdTe Solar Cells," they concluded the advantages of these perovskite Solar panels over Silicon ones

BUT!

Perovskite solar panels have a Darkside to them?

• ?Life span: comparing them to the silicon solar panels that have an average life span of?25 to 30 years?but perovskite 1st generation solar pannels probably last for 15 years only.
• Less Durability: Perovskite dissolves rapidly in water, it cannot endure higher temperatures [106 C]. When exposed to high temperatures, ions get excited and move violently, resulting in the breakdown of molecular structure.
• Toxicity: Lead is used in the production of the panels. Lead is toxic to living creatures. A recent study has discovered two alternative treatments.

1. OXFORD PV manufactured solar panels using an inkjet printer, and it is leakproof.

2. 'scotch-tape like' USA scientists from?Northern Illinois University?have developed a tape that can absorb potential lead leakage from perovskite solar cells.

In a research paper submitted by a few Indian scientists titled " Performance optimization of lead free-MASnI3 based solar cell with 27% efficiency by numerical simulation ", they made a perovskite solar cell that is lead-free and has an efficiency of 27%.

These might be the future of solar panels, as silicon-based solar panels have already reached their maximum efficiency, and perovskite solar plans offer great promise, but further study and analysis are required.