Researchers use ‘holy grail’ of solar tech to develop new flexible panels

A team of researchers from Oxford University has produced the world’s first flexible solar devices. They are thin enough to be coated over various objects, turning them into portable power sources. While flexible solar panels have been available on the market for some time, these new panels are distinguished by their ultra-thin design, measuring just over one micron thick.

The panels are made using a material called perovskite, which has been hailed by some in the industry as the “holy grail” of solar power. Perovskite’s appeal lies in its potential to create flexible, lightweight solar panels at a much cheaper cost than current models.

“We can envisage perovskite coatings being applied to broader types of surface to generate cheap solar power, such as the roof of cars and buildings and even the backs of mobile phones,” Junke Wang, professor of physics at Oxford University, said in a statement. “If more solar energy can be generated in this way, we can foresee less need in the longer term to use silicon panels or build more and more solar farms.”

However, previous attempts to use perovskite in solar panels have faced significant challenges. The material is notoriously susceptible to damage from moisture and can degrade quickly when exposed to air, which has limited its practical use in outdoor solar panels.

The Oxford research team has overcome these challenges by developing a method to stabilize perovskite in layered structures. This innovation has resulted in a solar device that is not only durable but also more efficient, with a 27% efficiency rate in converting sunlight into energy.

This marks an improvement over the current industry standard, which typically caps at around 22% efficiency. With continued development, researchers believe they can push the efficiency rate up to 45%.