South Korean researchers have broken efficiency records for flexible solar cells, which may revolutionize how we integrate renewable energy into curved surfaces from car roofs to building facades.
The team at the Korea Energy Research Institute (KIER) has a power conversion efficiency of 23.64% through its ultralight flexible solar cells, the highest record for this particular technology. These cells combine perovskite and copper-Indian-thyroxine (CIGS) and are configured in a tandem manner that not only bends, but also maintains their 97.7% efficiency even after 100,000 bend cycles.
Traditional silicon-based solar panels dominate today’s market, but they can install their stiff, heavy structural limitations. The new technology addresses this limitation by providing power weights about 10 times higher than existing alternatives.
“This study is a key achievement that demonstrates the commercial potential of next-generation high-efficiency solar cell technologies with flexibility and lightness,” said Dr. Inyoung Jeong, who led the study, published in the March issue of the March issue. joule.
Breakthroughs depend on a novel manufacturing method. Instead of building directly on flexible materials, the team could create inconsistencies, they developed what they call the “lifting process.” This involves coating the glass with a polyimide layer, building the solar cell on this stable basis, and then separating the complete cell from the glass.
This technology solves ongoing problems in solar cell manufacturing. In the traditional manufacturing process, potassium such as alkali metals diffuses from the glass substrate into the light-colored CIGS layer, resulting in the defect of reducing efficiency. The team found that their polyimide layer acted as a barrier, controlling this diffusion to the optimal level.
The technology has achieved a critical solar energy development. Single-connected solar cells are approaching their theoretical efficiency limitations, pushing researchers to tandem designs to stack different materials to capture more solar spectrum. Although perovskite/silicon tandem has reached an efficiency of 34.6%, they lack the flexibility required for many potential applications.
Industry analysts point out that the lightweight and flexible solar panel market is expanding rapidly, especially for electric vehicles that directly affect the weight range. Building integration PV represents another growing sector, and traditional rigid panels are often impractical.
The study’s lead investigator Dr. Kihwan Kim highlights the versatility of the technology. “The power weight of the solar cells produced is about 10 times higher than that of calcium/silicon tandem solar cells, making it very promising for applications in fields where ultralight solar modules are needed, such as building external, vehicle, vehicle and aerospace layers.”
The certified power conversion efficiency is 22.8%, which converts to an impressive power of 6.15 W/g, greatly exceeding the perovskite/silicon tandem cells (0.65 W/g).
The study was conducted in collaboration with Professor Tae Kay Lee of Gion National University and Professor Hae-Jin Kim of Yonsei University with support from the Kiel Research and Development Program.
Despite the great promise of the technology, challenges remain before commercial deployment. The team is now focused on expanding the manufacturing process and further improving stability – a critical step before seeing these flexible solar cells decorate vehicles, satellites or building facades.
Dr. Kim expressed optimism about the future of this technology: “By advancing the manufacturing process in large regions and increasing stability, we aim to enhance competitiveness in relevant industries and significantly promote the expansion of renewable energy adoption.”
As global demand for clean energy solutions accelerates, innovations that make solar more suitable for our existing infrastructure may play a crucial role in the renewable transition. Not only do these ultra-lightweight, flexible solar cells stoop over quickly, but our expectations of how to leverage the energy of the sun.
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