The Korea Institute of Energy Research has substantially innovative semi-transparent perovskite solar battery innovation, accomplishing a world-leading performance of 21.68% and showing remarkable toughness. This advancement, targeted at improving solar battery application in windows and tandem setups, addresses crucial difficulties in accomplishing carbon neutrality by2050 Through ingenious research study, the group has actually enhanced the stability and performance of these cells, making a considerable contribution to the field of solar power. Credit: Korea Institute of Energy Research
The issue of metal oxide layer destruction in semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries has actually been effectively dealt with and dealt with, showing substantial development for the very first time on the planet.
The Korea Institute of Energy Research’s Photovoltaics Research Department, in cooperation with the KIER Energy AI and Computational Science Lab, has actually made development in improving the toughness and efficiency of semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries. These cells reveal pledge for applications in structure windows and in the advancement of tandem solar batteries.
The semi-transparent solar batteries accomplished a record-breaking performance of 21.68%, making them the most effective amongst the perovskite solar batteries utilizing transparent electrodes on the planet. Additionally, they revealed amazing toughness, with over 99% of their preliminary performance preserved after 240 hours of operation.
The Quest for Carbon Neutrality and Solar Innovation
In order to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, the crucial depend on attaining ‘ultra-high efficiency’ and ‘diversifying the application areas’ of next-generation solar battery innovation, getting rid of restraints in setup areas and nationwide acreage. This needs effective and multi-functional innovations like tandem solar batteries and solar batteries for windows. Highly effective and steady semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries are needed in both innovations.
For the fabrication of the semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries, it is required to change the metal electrodes of standard nontransparent solar batteries with transparent electrodes that enable light to go through. During this procedure, high-energy particles are created, resulting in the destruction of the efficiency of the hole transportation layer.
Perovskite solar battery, semi-transparent perovskite solar battery, perovskite-si tandem solar battery from the left. Credit: Korea Institute of Energy Research
To avoid this, it prevails to transfer a metal oxide layer that functions as a buffer in between the hole transportation layer and the transparent electrode layer. However, compared to nontransparent solar batteries produced under the very same conditions, the charge-transporting homes and stability of the semi-transparent gadgets are decreased, and the precise causes and services have actually not been clarified.
Breakthrough in Understanding and Improving Solar Cell Stability
The scientists used electro-optical analysis and atomic-level computational science to determine the reasons for the decreased charge carrying homes and stability that happen throughout the fabrication of semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries. Through this, they found that lithium ions (Li), contributed to increase the electrical conductivity of the hole transportation layer, diffuse into the metal oxide layer that acts as a buffer, eventually altering the electronic structure of the metal oxide buffer layer into that deteriorates its attributes.
Furthermore, beyond determining the cause, the scientists fixed the issue by enhancing the oxidation time of the hole transportation layer. They discovered that transforming lithium ions into steady lithium oxide (Li xOy) through enhanced oxidation reduces the diffusion of lithium ions, therefore improving the stability of the gadget. This discovery exposes that lithium oxide, formerly thought about a basic response by-product, can play an essential function in enhancing performance and stability.
Ahn SeJin, Ahn Seung- kyu, Yim Kanghoon from the left, and Naqvi Syed Dildar Haider in the circle. Credit: Korea Institute of Energy Research
The established procedure led to semi-transparent perovskite solar batteries with an excellent 21.68% performance, the greatest amongst all transparent electrode perovskite solar batteries. In addition, this research study showed an excellent retention of over 99% of its preliminary performance for 400 hours in dark storage and for more than 240 hours in constantly brightening functional conditions, showcasing its exceptional performance and stability.
Implementation in Bifacial Tandem Solar Cells
The research study group went even more and used the established solar batteries as the leading cell of tandem solar batteries, producing the nation’s very first bifacial tandem solar batteries that use light shown from the back along with that event from the front surface area. In cooperation with Jusung Engineering Co.,Ltd and the German Jülich Research Center, the bifacial tandem solar batteries accomplished high bifacial comparable performances of 31.5% for four-terminal and 26.4% for two-terminal setups under conditions where the shown light from the back was 20% of basic sunshine.
Dr Ahn SeJin of the Photovoltaics Research Department, the leader of the research study, specified, “This study represents a significant advance in the field by examining the degradation process occurring at the interface of an organic compound and metal oxide buffer layer which is unique to semi-transparent perovskite solar cells,” and included, “Our solution is readily implementable, demonstrating great potential for the future use of the technologies we have developed.”
Reference: “Mitigating Intrinsic Interfacial Degradation in Semi-Transparent Perovskite Solar Cells for High Efficiency and Long-Term Stability” by Syed Dildar Haider Naqvi, Kyungnan Son, Wonzee Jung, Hui ung Hwang, Sangmin Lee, Arheum Lee, Minjong Keum, Sunwook Kim, Jeong Won Kim, Min Gu Kang, Hee- eun Song, Sungjun Hong, Inyoung Jeong, Seungkyu Ahn, Andreas Lambertz, Kaining Ding, Weiyuan Duan, Kanghoon Yim and SeJin Ahn, 30 October 2023, Advanced Energy Materials
DOI: 10.1002/ aenm.202302147
