Going green with fluoride-enhanced perovskite solar cells

by Simon Mansfield

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 15, 2025

A team of scientists from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has unveiled a sustainable method for fabricating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by using a fluoride-based additive in a water-only solution. This innovation replaces hazardous solvents typically used in PSC production, achieving a notable power conversion efficiency exceeding 18%.

Perovskite solar cells have emerged as a promising technology for the future of solar energy, thanks to their high efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Yet, their commercial scalability has been hindered by the environmental and health hazards posed by conventional toxic solvents used during manufacturing. While water-based methods offer a more sustainable route, they have so far underperformed in delivering high-efficiency devices.

To overcome this barrier, QUT researchers introduced lead(II) fluoride (PbF2) into the aqueous precursor mix. This additive plays a dual role: it speeds up the formation of the light-absorbing phase and aligns the crystallization process to optimize light conversion. The fluoride ions also passivate surface defects in the perovskite grains, minimizing charge loss and improving conductivity.

“With the PbF2 additive, we achieved a power conversion efficiency of 18.1%, compared to 16.3% in the control device,” said Dr. Minh Tam Hoang, a postdoctoral researcher at QUT and lead author of the study. “Even more exciting is the improved operational and environmental stability, which brings us closer to scalable, green manufacturing of PSCs.”

This advancement signals a meaningful shift in perovskite solar cell development, offering a pathway to produce efficient and durable solar modules through eco-friendly processes. The results demonstrate the value of fluoride-based chemistry in advancing both performance and sustainability in solar technologies.

The findings were published in the journal Materials Futures, underscoring the growing role of green additives in next-generation clean energy solutions.

Research Report:Lead (II) fluoride additive modulating grains growth of water-processed metal halide perovskites for enhanced efficiency in solar cells

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Launch of AI-powered solar diagnostics platform boosts PV asset performance

by Simon Mansfield

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 15, 2025

The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has launched a commercial spin-off called the “PV Doctor,” marking a significant leap forward in managing and optimizing solar photovoltaic (PV) system performance. Officially unveiled on April 2, 2025, the platform leverages 15 years of R and D into the behavior of PV systems in diverse climates and aims to restore and maintain peak energy output for solar installations worldwide.

The PV Doctor combines AI-based analytics with routine monitoring and benchmark comparisons to ensure that solar assets operate at maximum efficiency. In addition to diagnostics, the service provides corrective action plans and hands-on rectification, helping system owners recover lost energy output and maximize returns on investment.

“Our mission is to ensure that every PV system under our care performs at its peak potential,” the founders stated. “By integrating deep expertise with real-time diagnostics, we can prevent losses before they escalate.”

Many PV systems are sold under the misleading premise of being maintenance-free, despite the reality that even minor oversight can result in substantial inefficiencies. Global preventable losses from underperforming systems are estimated at $10 billion annually. PV Doctor targets this gap by offering root-cause analysis and active management for both healthy and ailing systems. Its Smart O&M algorithm tracks performance in real-time, detecting anomalies before they degrade output.

Initially trialed by SERIS across Asia, the Smart O&M services quickly proved their value. In just under a year, PV Doctor systems reached over 200 MWp of assets under management, covering 400 sites in 10 countries. In Singapore, more than 3% of all PV installations are already being managed by the platform.

PV Doctor’s capabilities are structured around six core services:

1. Smart O&M – This foundational offering provides real-time performance monitoring, automatic issue detection, and root-cause analysis. The system integrates seamlessly with inverter portals, using a combination of sensor inputs, satellite data, and machine learning to pinpoint losses from pollution, shading, grid disruptions, and component failures.

2. Preventive O&M – For owners seeking a passive role, this service delivers scheduled maintenance, inspections, and early fault resolution, ensuring systems remain operational without owner involvement.

3. Rectification and Special Investigations – PV Doctor tackles complex issues such as potential-induced degradation or mechanical defects, especially common in low-tilt systems near the equator. Thorough diagnostics precede tailored interventions to restore full performance.

4. Repowering – Older or obsolete systems can be upgraded with the latest high-efficiency modules and inverters. Repowering revitalizes aging assets, increases output, and prolongs operational lifespan.

5. Audits and Performance Assessments – Independent third-party assessments support transactions and compliance needs. PV Doctor uses thermal imaging, satellite-derived irradiance, and electrical testing to deliver objective performance evaluations.

6. Technical Support – Beyond system operations, the platform assists stakeholders across the solar value chain with project planning, risk analysis, component selection, and due diligence for acquisitions.

PV Doctor positions itself as an essential partner for solar developers, asset managers, EPC firms, and investors, offering scalable solutions from residential systems to large-scale solar farms.

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Solar park boom threatens Spain’s centuries-old olive trees

By Rosa SULLEIRO

Lopera, Spain (AFP) April 14, 2025

At his farm in southern Spain, Francisco Campos looked worriedly at a green sea of centuries-old olive trees that he fears will face the axe to make way for a proposed solar park.

“Cutting down olive trees to install solar panels is a crime,” the 64-year-old farmer told AFP in Lopera, a town of whitewashed buildings with 3,600 residents in the sunny southern region of Andalusia, Spain’s olive-growing heartland.

Spain is the world’s top producer of olive oil, but the fertile agricultural land long used by olive producers is now in high demand from power firms looking to install solar farms.

And with nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, Andalusia is one of the Spanish regions with the highest number of solar panels as a renewables boom makes the country a European leader in green energy.

Renewable energy firms such as Greenalia and FRV Arroyadas have requested permission to build multiple solar farms near Lopera, which farmers say will affect up to 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of property.

The businesses negotiated agreements to lease the bulk of the land required for their projects but encountered significant opposition from hundreds of small landowners.

This prompted the regional government of Andalusia to announce it will expropriate some land needed for the plants, declaring them to be in “the public interest”.

“Is it in the public interest for them to take my land and give it to a company so that the company can profit? This has no benefit for us,” said Campos.

“Our way of life is going to be destroyed,” he added.

– ‘From our ancestors’ –

Campaigners predict that the eight solar projects planned for the area will require the removal of nearly 100,000 olive trees.

The regional government puts the figure significantly lower, at 13,000.

Local residents anticipated power companies would seek to install solar panels in the area, but they never imagined “they would come and take away your property,” said Rafael Alcala, a spokesman for a platform that represents the solar plants’ opponents.

In support of landowners impacted by the latest round of expropriations, dozens of farmers on tractors — some holding signs that read “We don’t want solar plants” — gathered on a recent morning outside Lopera.

“These lands come from our ancestors. What am I going to leave to my children now?” Maria Josefa Palomo, a 67-year-old pensioner, said at the protest.

Losing 500 hectares of olive groves would wipe out more than two million euros ($2.3 million) in annual revenues, according to local olive oil cooperative La Loperana.

Campaigners say 5,000 olive trees have already been uprooted from land belonging to a farmer in Lopera who signed an agreement with one of the firms behind a solar park. More could follow.

In an effort to stop the projects, opponents have filed lawsuits against the regional government and the companies involved.

– ‘Until the end’ –

Spain generated a record 56.8 percent of its electricity last year from renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to grid operator Red Electrica.

Leveraging on its sunny plains, windy hillsides and fast-flowing rivers, Spain intends to raise the share of renewable-generated electricity to 81 percent of the total by 2030 as part of efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The regional government has defended the renewables projects, saying less than one percent of the land they use in the region had to be expropriated from reluctant landowners.

Spanish solar industry group UNEF, which represents more than 800 companies, says the projects boost tax revenues in rural communities.

They generate “significant amounts” that can be used to improve public services, said UNEF head Jose Donoso.

Solar park opponents in Lopera disagree and vow to continue their fight.

“Until the end. Nobody is going to take what is ours away from us,” said Juan Cantera, a 28-year-old farmer.

“Olive oil is everything in Lopera”.

rs/ds/imm/gv/tym

RED ELECTRICA CORPORACION

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