3 ms·
Looks like this uses perovskites in tandem with traditional silicon. Perovskites have great efficiencies, but so far (to my knowledge) no one has figured out ho
by MobiusHorizons 3y ago
Looks like this uses perovskites in tandem with traditional silicon. Perovskites have great efficiencies, but so far (to my knowledge) no one has figured out how to make them last multiple years. I’m surprised they don’t mention any longevity claim in this article given that they seem to imply this will be brought to market. Without longevity claims the record is basically meaningless at least in an industrial context.
- jncfhnb 3y agoIndustrial is not the only market
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoBy industrial I mean manufacturing solar panels for sale as opposed to the research which is where you usually see perovskites
- jncfhnb 3y agoOk well then long lived isn’t the only context that matters either
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoCare to enlighten me? I am not aware of many contexts that need solar panels but can accept serious degradation in the course of a few months. I guess there could be disposable applications with too high power requirements for batteries, but I am not aware of any.
- jncfhnb 3y agoOuter space. Degradation is different
- sunshinesnacks 3y agoYeah, consumer electronics. See Exeger Powerfoyle dye-sensitized cells in wireless headphones as an example. They probably aren’t expected to last 30 years, but not being permanently outdoors probably helps a lot either way.
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoI’m not talking about 30 years, I’m talking about 1. As another commenter mentions, the current perovskites record holder hit 80% of original efficiency after only 150 days, where silicon cells are expected 1% drop per year or so. I get that the form factor or cheapness of manufacturing could be relevant, but an efficiency record is fairly meaningless if the cells degrade well below average silicon sells in a matter of months
- jncfhnb 3y agoThat’s under typical constant use in outdoor conditions though.
- sunshinesnacks 3y agoOh, I agree. I'm the commenter that pointed out the 150 days to 80% efficiency record. This is a total guess, but 150 days outdoors might translate to a few years of mostly-indoor use. But even then, there is probably need for more QC, etc. I'm just pointing out that there are other potential markets for PV tech that doesn't necessarily make sense for 30 years outdoors. TBD if that will work for perovskites (and honestly, TBD for dye-sensitized cells being a commercial success).
- sunshinesnacks 3y agoHere are recent results from a large US DOE-funded project related to perovskite reliability: https://pvpact.sandia.gov/results-and-data/ https://pvpact.sandia.gov/results-and-data/ The “record holder” lasted about 150 days outdoors before dropping below 80% of original efficiency. But there are a number of samples that are still going and catching up. For reference, 80% of “new” output is close to what many solar module warranties cover.