A Solar cell on Steroids - Perovskites

While Silicon panels, despite their dominance in the market at a whopping 95% share, fall short as the optimal solar material. Another challenge with solar power is its diminishing returns once it contributes significantly to the grid. Solar farms produce no electricity at night, requiring other power sources to meet demand. Conversely, on sunny days, there might be surplus electricity that the system can't store or use, leading to price drops or even negative pricing, reducing profits for solar plants and impeding further reductions in fossil fuel use.

According to MIT Technology Review , we are in the age of Perovskites now

Perovskite exhibits the potential to capture a broader spectrum of light, adaptable to various segments, potentially achieving an efficiency of 33% autonomously and up to an impressive 43% when partnered with silicon as silicon only absorbs light towards the red and visible spectrum,

The production of perovskite panels shows promising cost-efficiency in the long run. Unlike the intricate processes involved in silicon panel manufacturing, such as high-heat silicon refinement and precise wafer slicing in sterile environments, perovskites offer a simpler production method. They can be manufactured at lower temperatures and applied in liquid form on flexible materials, presenting a streamlined manufacturing process akin to printing newspapers.

While there are still questions on the durability of perovskite, when silicon and perovskites work together in tandem solar cells, they can utilise more of the solar spectrum, producing more electricity per cell. No solar material has managed to supplant silicon. Perovskites, which are far cheaper and can be made into flexible modules, could change that.

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You can read the Full Article on MIT Tech Review here