Indoor solar cells made from perovskite material now yield unprecedented levels of energy capture, amounting to six times the traditional output.
Revolutionary Perovskite Indoor Solar Cells Offer Promise for Small Electronics
A groundbreaking development by a UCL-led team, in collaboration with researchers from China and Switzerland, has resulted in the creation of highly efficient and durable perovskite-based solar cells. These cells are designed to harness the untapped potential of indoor light, paving the way for the elimination of billions of battery replacements for small electronics.
The team's innovation lies in addressing the biggest flaw of perovskite cells: tiny structural defects known as traps that block electrons and degrade performance over time. By employing a three-part chemical approach, they have managed to significantly reduce these traps, resulting in a material that demonstrates impressive resilience. The cells retained 92% of their performance over more than 100 days in stress tests, showcasing their durability.
The developed perovskite cells are optimized for indoor light, using a perovskite-structured light-absorbing layer that efficiently captures low-intensity, ambient indoor illumination, such as LED or fluorescent light. This layer excites electrons, creating charge carriers, which are then separated and directed to electrodes, generating electrical current even under low light conditions typical of indoor environments.
The key to their indoor optimization is tailoring the perovskite's bandgap to about 1.7–1.9 eV, which better matches the indoor light spectrum. Advanced surface passivation techniques, such as using pyridine-based multifunctional passivators, further reduce defect-induced recombination losses, improving charge carrier dynamics, enhancing open-circuit voltage, and significantly boosting power conversion efficiency indoors.
Compared to traditional silicon solar cells, perovskite cells offer several advantages. They are more efficient at absorbing lower-power, ambient light, with research showing they can be up to six times more efficient than silicon-based cells indoors. Their tunable bandgap allows optimization for indoor lighting spectra, unlike silicon cells which are optimized for sunlight. Additionally, perovskite solar cells can be fabricated with solution-processing methods at lower temperatures without complex equipment, reducing production costs.
These advancements could potentially sustainably power Internet of Things (IoT) devices, enabling battery-free operation of low-power electronics (sensors, alarms, keyboards) indoors, helping reduce battery waste and maintenance. The developed indoor solar cells convert 37.6% of light at 1000 lux into electricity, six times higher than the best commercial indoor solar cells. The researchers believe the devices could power small electronics for more than five years indoors.
In harsher trials involving 300 hours of intense light at 55°C, the new cells held 76% efficiency, while controls fell to 47%. The study on the developed perovskite cells was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The team is now discussing ways to scale up production and move towards commercial use with industry partners.
[1] Advanced Functional Materials [2] Nature Energy [3] Journal of Materials Chemistry A [4] Energy & Environmental Science [5] Nature Photonics
- The development of revolutionary perovskite indoor solar cells brings a promising solution for the finance industry, reducing battery replacement costs for small electronics and contributing to the cybersecurity of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
- The innovation in perovskite cells' structure, employing a three-part chemical approach to combat tiny structural defects, has significant implications for the science and technology industry, as it could revolutionize the energy sector through the efficient conversion of otherwise underutilized indoor light.
- With a partnership between researchers from UCL, China, and Switzerland, the advancements in perovskite solar cells could potentially spark a wave of innovation across multiple industries, from energy and finance to cybersecurity and small electronics manufacturing.
