As climate change is getting serious, lots of alternative energies are receiving attention. Alternative Energy means energy sources other than fossil fuel energy. Fossil fuel is unrenewable energy that emits carbon dioxide. However, people are using fossil fuels in their everyday lives. The result of this comes back to humans so scientists are working hard to find renewable energy. One of them is perovskite solar cells.

Solar cell literally means a battery that creates electricity out of light energy. In the past, silicon was the main material. However, it had limits on expensive prices. To solve this problem, the perovskite started to be studied. Perovskite is an oxide mineral that is consists of calcium and titanium and its probability was first discovered in Japan. In 2012, the faculty of Sungkyunkwan University increased efficiency by up to 10 percent. It can also absorb a vast spectrum of light. However, it was not enough to use in daily life.

▲ flexible perovskite solar cells

Last month, the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology created flexible perovskite solar cells that have 20.7% of efficiency. While solid perovskite solar cells reach 25.5% of peak efficiency, flexible perovskite couldn't reach 10% worldwide. The research Insitute expects perovskite solar cells to be used in cars and portable electronic devices. This result was pronounced in the international academic journal, Energy & Environmental Science. Besides, the research team developed Roll-to-roll processing technology with a Finnish VTT technology laboratory. With this technology, it is possible to mass-produce flexible perovskite solar cells.

▲ Roll-to-roll processing

December 3, UNIST announced that they developed additives to increase perovskite solar cells' efficiency and stability. Using this, the efficiency increased by about 17% than the existing one. Professor Park Hyesung mentioned that this additive will contribute to not only solar cells but also the photoelectric devices which are based on perovskite. Like this, the development of perovskite solar cells is being continued.

Dec 19, 2020

by Kim Yerin