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.
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“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%.
[JACK AYLMER]
WE’VE SEEN A NUMBER OF EFFORTS TO MAKE TECH MORE FLEXIBLE.
LITERALLY.
FROM PHONES AND SMART WATCHES TO TV SCREENS AND TOUCHSCREEN TABLETS, THERE’S BEEN A RECENT RAGE AROUND DEVICES THAT CAN BEND.
AND THAT’S NOW EXTENDING TO SOLAR PANELS AS WELL.
RESEARCHERS FROM OXFORD ARE PRODUCING THE WORLD’S FIRST FLEXIBLE SOLAR ENERGY DEVICES THAT ARE THIN ENOUGH TO COAT OVER OTHER OBJECTS SO THEY CAN DOUBLE AS A PORTABLE SOURCE OF POWER.
WE’VE SEEN SOLAR PANELS THAT BEND ON THE MARKET BEFORE NOW-
BUT THE ULTRA THIN NATURE OF THESE LATEST ONES, SAID TO BE JUST OVER ONE MICRON THICK, WILL OFFER NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THE TECH.
THE PRODUCERS OF THESE PANELS ARE MAKING THEM WITH A MATERIAL CALLED PEROVSKITE-
SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE HOLY GRAIL OF SOLAR POWER.
WHILE THIS RESOURCE OFFERS THE POTENTIAL TO BUILD FLEXIBLE, LIGHTWEIGHT SOLAR PANELS FAR MORE CHEAPLY THAN CURRENT MODELS-
PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT USING PEROVSKITE HAVE FAILED TO PRODUCE SOLAR PANELS THAT CAN LAST FOR MORE THAN A FEW DAYS.
THE MATERIAL IS PARTICULARLY PRONE TO DAMAGE FROM MOISTURE AND CAN BREAK APART AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO THE AIR FOR TOO LONG-
TWO THINGS THAT OUTDOOR SOLAR PANELS ABSOLUTLEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND.
HOWEVER, THE OXFORD TEAM FOUND THAT WHEN PLACED IN LAYERED STRUCTURES, THEY WERE ABLE TO STABILIZE THE PEROVSKITE FOR CONSISTENT SOLAR PANEL USE.
THE RESULTING DEVICE IS 27 PERCENT EFFICIENT AT CONVERTING SUNLIGHT INTO ENERGY-
A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE 22 PERCENT EFFICIENCY CEILING THAT SOLAR PANELS ON THE MARKET TODAY HAVE.
AND OVER TIME, RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THEY CAN IMPROVE ON THAT PERFORMANCE TO 45 PERCENT EFFICIENCY.
JACK AYLMER – STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.
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