In his career for the total domain of the solar panels, a rival has come out: the Spanish Perovskita

The sun will continue to shine, but the way we take advantage of it is changing at vertigo speed. While China and other countries are focused on improving the efficiency of Perovskita solar panels, Spain has set the point of solving another great challenge: stability. And he does it with a clear message: say goodbye to the silicon.

Jubilating the silicon. Until now, talk about solar energy It was talking about silicon. Today, that equation begins to break through the Perovskita. In Madrid, an Imdea Nanocencia team has achieved that a cell reaches 25.2% certified efficiency, almost matching The world record of 26.7%. With this, Spain enters the first line of the race for the solar future.

Not only that, they have also manufactured a mini-modulus of 25 cm² that maintains an efficiency of 22.1% and extraordinary stability, something that historically has been the Achilles heel of this technology. “These cells already exceed the commercial silicon, which barely reaches 18% efficiency, and open the door to the next generation of solar panels,” explains Nazario Martín, principal researcher of the project.

The jump is not only academic. In research, Published in Advanced Materialsthey explain that Perovskita promises to reduce costs, be flexible, light and recyclable, in front of the silicon, whose production process is expensive and controlled almost exclusively by China.

But the essential here is not so much efficiency and durability. The cells developed with the new PTZ-FL material maintain 95% of their performance after 3,600 hours of tests in demanding conditions (ISOS-D-1 protocol). In other words, we do not talk about fragile laboratory prototypes, but of devices capable of resisting the passage of time under sun, humidity and heat.

The fund of the project. The advance is based on the design of molecules called Spiro-Fenotiazines, which act as “hollow transporters”, an essential layer in the solar cell. The PTZ-FL compound prevents lithium-ion migration, which is usually one of the main causes of degradation.

In the words of the researchers, it is about building a “compact interface” that protects the material and improves its efficiency. In practical terms, it means that Perovskita modules are not only more powerful, but also much more resistant.

China takes the lead. As he advanced above, China has focused its efficiency efforts. A study by the Huazhong University and Technology achieved a 28.8% record With a tandem cell totally from Perovskita, without silicon. This type of advance, such as Spanish, confirm that Perovskita can not only compete with silicon, but to overcome it in scenarios where it never shone: facades, windows, offices or even portable devices.

There are very specific challenges. Beyond laboratory records, the great challenge is to bring this technology to the market. Today, the European Union depends largely on China to manufacture solar panels, According to an Ember report. Projects such as IMDEA not only seek efficiency, but also reduce this strategic dependence.

In addition, the most expensive component of a solar panel is no longer silicon or glass, but aluminum frames, which represent 14% of the total cost. A reminder that the transition to Perovskita will require innovations not only in laboratories, also in factories and supply chains.

Forecasts The solar future is no longer written with silicon. Perovskita has gone from being a fragile promise to real candidate for the market. The question is not whether it will come, but how and from where. Spain, with the advancement of IMDEA nanocencia, wants part of that response to have European seal.

Image | Freepik

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