Solar Energy

Scientists develop perovskite solar modules with greater size, power and stability

Published

4 years ago

February 8, 2021

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Scientists develop perovskite solar modules with greater size, power and stability

Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have created perovskite solar modules with improved stability and efficiency by using a new fabrication technique that reduced defects. Their findings were published on the 25th January in Advanced Energy Materials.

Perovskites are one of the most promising materials for the next-generation of solar technology, soaring from efficiencies of 3.8% to 25.5% in slightly over a decade. Perovskite solar cells are cheap to produce and have the potential to be flexible, increasing their versatility. But two obstacles still block the way to commercialization: their lack of long-term stability and difficulties with upscaling.

“Perovskite material is fragile and prone to decomposition, which means the solar cells struggle to maintain high efficiency over a long time,” said first author Dr. Guoqing Tong, a postdoctoral scholar in the OIST Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit, led by Professor Yabing Qi. “And although small-sized perovskite solar cells have a high efficiency and perform almost as well as their silicon counterparts, once scaled up to larger solar modules, the efficiency drops.”

In a functional solar device, the perovskite layer lies in the center, sandwiched between two transport layers and two electrodes. As the active perovskite layer absorbs sunlight, it generates charge carriers which then flow to the electrodes via the transport layers and produce a current.

However, pinholes in the perovskite layer and defects at the boundaries between individual perovskite grains can disrupt the flow of charge carriers from the perovskite layer to the transport layers, reducing efficiency. Humidity and oxygen can also start to degrade the perovskite layer at these defect sites, shortening the lifespan of the device.

“Scaling up is challenging because as the modules increase in size, it’s harder to produce a uniform layer of perovskite, and these defects become more pronounced,” explained Dr. Tong. “We wanted to find a way of fabricating large modules that addressed these problems.”

Currently, most solar cells produced have a thin perovskite layer – only 500 nanometers in thickness. In theory, a thin perovskite layer improves efficiency, as the charge carriers have less distance to travel to reach the transport layers above and below. But when fabricating larger modules, the researchers found that a thin film often developed more defects and pinholes.

The researchers therefore opted to make 5 x 5 cm2 and 10 x 10 cm2 solar modules that contained perovskite films with double the thickness.

However, making thicker perovskite films came with its own set of challenges. Perovskites are a class of materials that are usually formed by reacting many compounds together as a solution and then allowing them to crystallize.

However, the scientists struggled to dissolve a high enough concentration of lead iodine – one of the precursor materials used to form perovskite – that was needed for the thicker films. They also found that the crystallization step was fast and uncontrollable, so the thick films contained many small grains, with more grain boundaries.

The researchers therefore added ammonium chloride to increase the solubility of lead iodine. This also allowed lead iodine to be more evenly dissolved in the organic solvent, resulting in a more uniform perovskite film with much larger grains and fewer defects. Ammonia was later removed from the perovskite solution, lowering the level of impurities within the perovskite film.

Overall, the solar modules sized 5 x 5 cm2 showed an efficiency of 14.55%, up from 13.06% in modules made without ammonium chloride, and were able to work for 1600 hours – over two months – at more than 80% of this efficiency.

The larger 10 x 10 cm2 modules had an efficiency of 10.25% and remained at high levels of efficiency for over 1100 hours, or almost 46 days.

“This is the first time that a lifespan measurement has been reported for perovskite solar modules of this size, which is really exciting,” said Dr. Tong.

This work was supported by the OIST Technology Development and Innovation Center’s Proof-of-Concept Program. These results are a promising step forward in the quest to produce commercial-sized solar modules with efficiency and stability to match their silicon counterparts.

In the next stage of their research, the team plans to optimize their technique further by fabricating the perovskite solar modules using vapor-based methods, rather than by using solution, and are now trying to scale up to 15 x 15 cm2 modules.

“Going from lab-sized solar cells to 5 x 5 cm2 solar modules was hard. Jumping up to solar modules that were 10 x 10 cm2 was even harder. And going to 15 x 15 cm2 solar modules will be harder still,” said Dr. Tong. “But the team is looking forward to the challenge.”

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Solar Energy

Star Catcher showcases space energy beaming tech at Jacksonville stadium

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2025

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Star Catcher showcases space energy beaming tech at Jacksonville stadium

by Clarence Oxford

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 24, 2025

Star Catcher Industries, Inc. (“Star Catcher”), a leader in the field of space-to-space energy transfer, has completed its first public demonstration of space power beaming technology. This milestone event, held at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, marks significant progress toward the development of a space-based energy grid designed to provide uninterrupted power to satellites and space infrastructure.

During the demonstration, Star Catcher deployed its proprietary system to harness concentrated solar energy and beam it over a distance exceeding 100 meters. The energy was transmitted to a series of standard satellite solar panels, effectively showcasing the system’s compatibility with existing spacecraft hardware. This demonstration highlighted the adaptability of Star Catcher’s technology, which requires no modifications to current satellite power systems, allowing seamless integration into existing orbital platforms.

“This demonstration marks the first end-to-end test of our space power beaming technology, proving we can collect and wirelessly transmit energy with the precision needed for space applications,” said Andrew Rush, Co-Founder and CEO of Star Catcher. “Today’s success puts us one step closer to eliminating power constraints in space and unlocking new capabilities for satellites and the customers they serve.”

The EverBank Stadium event represents a foundational achievement for the planned Star Catcher Network, an orbital power infrastructure intended to offer on-demand, continuous energy supply to satellites and other space-based assets. By validating the core functionality of its power transmission technology in a real-world setting, Star Catcher has demonstrated its readiness to move toward larger-scale applications.

Looking ahead, the company is preparing for a more ambitious trial at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) this summer. This future demonstration aims to transmit hundreds of watts of power wirelessly across a distance greater than one kilometer, energizing multiple simulated satellites simultaneously. The LLF site, historically used for Space Shuttle landings, will provide a fitting backdrop for this next phase of development.

Star Catcher’s momentum in advancing space power solutions is further bolstered by recent financial and governmental support. The firm secured a $12.25 million seed investment co-led by Initialized Capital and B Capital. In addition, it received an AFWERX SBIR Phase 1 contract to enhance its capabilities in space-based power transmission.

Rooted in Jacksonville, Star Catcher has deep ties to the local space innovation ecosystem. By hosting its inaugural technology demonstration at EverBank Stadium, in partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the company reinforced its commitment to community involvement. The event also served as a unique educational platform, allowing local students to engage with groundbreaking space technology developed within their region.

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Solar Energy

Framatome and Perpetual Atomics to Scale Up Space Battery Production for Future Missions

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2025

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Framatome and Perpetual Atomics to Scale Up Space Battery Production for Future Missions

by Sophie Jenkins

London, UK (SPX) Mar 24, 2025

Framatome and Perpetual Atomics have formalised a new strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to scale up the production of americium-based radioisotope power systems, often referred to as “space batteries.” Signed during the Farnborough International Space Show, the agreement outlines a joint effort to advance the industrial processing of americium into sealed sources for radioisotope heater units (RHUs) and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs).

These power systems, which generate heat through the natural decay of radioisotopes, can use that heat directly or convert it into electrical energy. Among available isotopes, americium-241 stands out due to its lengthy half-life of approximately 430 years, making it an optimal choice for space missions requiring sustained energy over extended durations.

The collaboration is designed to address the need for reliable energy solutions for deep space exploration, with a focus on industrialising the manufacturing processes to meet the demands of upcoming missions.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Perpetual Atomics to jointly pioneer the further development of nuclear power technology, pushing new frontiers in enabling deep space exploration. The partnership forges Perpetual Atomics’ cutting-edge technology in radioisotope nuclear power systems with Framatome’s global nuclear pedigree in production-scale industrialisation,” said Dr. Kason Bala, Chief Commercial Officer, UK Defence and Space at Framatome Ltd.

Professor Richard Ambrosi, Chief Scientific Officer, founder, and Director of Perpetual Atomics, commented: “The UK and Europe host a large inventory of americium, and this combined with the technology maturity, know-how, and industrial capability to scale production and manufacturing establishes an important foundation for the UK and European Space Agency (ESA) programmes. Perpetual Atomics looks forward to working closely with Framatome to develop industrialisation solutions for radioisotope power systems at scale.”

The agreement leverages Framatome’s extensive experience in nuclear manufacturing and regulatory compliance and Perpetual Atomics’ two decades of innovation in the field, much of which has been driven by the Space Nuclear Power group at the University of Leicester. Framatome Space and Framatome Ltd are expected to play significant roles in supporting lunar and Mars exploration missions under UK and ESA initiatives later this decade.

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Solar Energy

800-mn-euro battery factory to be built in Finland

Published

4 days ago

March 21, 2025

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800-mn-euro battery factory to be built in Finland

by AFP Staff Writers

Helsinki (AFP) Mar 20, 2025

A Chinese-Finnish company announced Thursday it would begin building a battery materials plant in Finland in April, the first of its kind in the Nordic country.

The plant will produce cathode active material, a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and for energy storage, said Easpring Finland New Materials, a company co-owned by Finnish Minerals Group and Beijing Easpring Material Technology.

It said the investment was worth 800 million euros ($868 million).

The announcement came one week after a bankruptcy filing by Swedish battery maker Northvolt, which had planned to develop cathode production but dropped those plans to focus on battery cell production as it fought for survival.

Easpring Finland New Materials said commercial production was expected to begin in 2027.

The plant, to be located in Kotka in southeast Finland, will initially produce 60,000 tonnes of cathode active material annually.

At full production capacity, it could supply cathode material for the production of around 750,000 electric vehicles annually, the company said.

Matti Hietanen, the chief executive of Finnish Minerals Group, said the investment created an “entirely new kind of industry in Finland related to the production of lithium-ion batteries” and represented a European “spearhead project for the industry.”

The new plant will employ 270 people and an area of around 80 hectares had been reserved for its construction.

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