Solar cells as structure product? In cooperation with the SUNOVATION business, set scientists established perovskite solar modules with marble optics for exteriors. Credit: Amadeus Bramsiepe, PACKAGE
PACKAGE Researchers show colored Perovskite Solar Modules for exteriors of homes.
As of 2022, all brand-new structures in the state of Baden- Württemberg needs to be geared up with photovoltaic systems. From May, this will likewise use to personal homes, whose share of solar setups still is really little. According to research studies, this may not just be because of the high purchase expenses, however likewise to the bad appearances. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (PACKAGE) have actually now established colored solar batteries from economical perovskite semiconductor product. They might be incorporated in exteriors or roofings of structures and mimic the optics of recognized structure products.
At the lab, perovskite solar batteries currently reach performances above 25 percent. Compared to silicon solar batteries of comparable performance, the preliminary products utilized in the previous case are less expensive and production techniques are easier. So far, nevertheless, this has actually just held true on the little scale. “Commercialization of this technology is still prevented by lacking stability of the modules and the difficulty to transfer the high efficiencies reached on small to larger scales,” states tenure-track Professor Ulrich W. Paetzold from set’s Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT). But this is the requirement for the innovation to cause the advancement of affordable solar modules. The point of view is appealing, as much of such modules may be incorporated in still unused parts of structures, such as exteriors. For such usage, expenses and performance contribute, as do the appearances. For this factor, the group of Paetzold, in cooperation with market partner SUNOVATION, studied an inkjet approach to color the perovskite solar modules. Its benefit: Coloring the modules by inkjet printing is economical and likewise fit for bigger surface areas.
Color Impression Is Independent of Incident Light
The selected method has a 2nd significant benefit: “So far, color impression of colored perovskite solar cells has been dependent on the angle of the incident light,” job organizer Helge Eggers, IMT, discusses. “With our method, the color is nearly independent of the angle of incident solar radiation and always looks the same,” Eggers includes. In a big series of experiments, scientists showed that the approach initially established for silicon solar modules can likewise be used effectively to perovskite solar modules. Solar cells colored cyan, magenta, and yellow risen to 60 percent of the initial performance when transforming solar power into power.
Marble Look Thanks to Color Mix
The 3rd benefit: As inkjet printing is utilized, colors can be blended. This does not just cause a broad spectrum of colors, however it is likewise possible to print complicated color scheme. Researchers produced solar modules appearing like different structure products. Perovskite solar modules with white marble optics reached an extremely high performance of as much as 14 percent. “In case of building-integrated photovoltaics, the photovoltaic system will not be installed on roofs or facades, but replaced by a module. As a result, additional costs are avoided,” Eggers states. “For building-integrated photovoltaics it can be stated that an integrated solar cell of small efficiency is better than a wall supplying no power at all. In this respect, an efficiency of 14 percent is enormous.”
Reference: “Perovskite Solar Cells with Vivid, Angle-Invariant, and Customizable Inkjet-Printed Colorization for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics” by Helge Eggers, Saba Gharibzadeh, Stefan Koch, Fabian Schackmar, David B. Ritzer, Tobias Abzieher, Bryce S. Richards, Christof Erban and Ulrich W. Paetzold, 8 January 2022, Solar RRL
DOI: 10.1002/ solr.202100897
