Solar ♦ news digest they say could help cut the cost of solar electricity.
Perovskite (a calcium titanium oxide mineral with the formula CaTiO3) is a promising new material for solar cells, combining high efficiency with low materials costs. Efficient organometal halide perovskite based photovoltaics were first demonstrated in 2012.
“There is a lot of excitement around perovskite based photovoltaics. Remarkably, this class of material offers the potential to combine the high performance of mature solar cell technologies with the low embedded energy costs of production of organic photovoltaics,” said lead researcher David Lidzey.
He added: “The best certified efficiencies from organic solar cells are around 10 per cent. Perovskite cells now have efficiencies of up to 19 per cent. This is not so far behind that of silicon at 25 per cent - the material that dominates the world-wide solar market.”
According to the researchers, the spray-painting process wastes very little of the perovskite material and can be scaled to high volume manufacturing – similar to applying paint to cars and graphic printing. Experts from the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering have previously used the spray-painting method to produce solar cells using organic semiconductors - but using perovskite is a major step forward.
The perovskite devices created still use similar structures to organic cells. “What we have done is replace the key light absorbing layer - the organic layer - with a spray-painted perovskite. Using a perovskite absorber instead of an organic absorber gives a significant boost in terms of efficiency,” said Lidzey.
Emcore Awarded Long-Term Contract by Lockheed Martin
High efficiency, multi-junction Coverglass cells for satellite program
Emcore, a provider of compound semiconductor- based components and subsystems for fibre optics and space solar power markets, has announced today that it has entered into a new, long-term supply agreement with Lockheed Martin Space Systems to design and manufacture high-efficiency, multi-junction Coverglass Interconnected Cells (CICs). The CICs will be produced at Emcore’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Albuquerque, USA, and are for Lockheed Martin’s satellite program.
Emcore has been a supplier of CICs for many previous space missions featuring satellites and spacecraft developed by Lockheed Martin. The CICs to be delivered under this new long- term supply agreement are based on Emcore’s latest generation ZTJ triple-junction solar cells. These InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells are the result of years of research and development in high- efficiency, multi-junction solar cell technology for Lockheed Martin and several other major aerospace companies.
“This agreement with Lockheed Martin is one of the most significant contract awards in Emcore’s recent history and results from many years of productive collaboration between our two companies,” commented Brad Clevenger, executive vice president and general manager of Emcore’s Photovoltaics Division. “We are very pleased to enter into this next phase of our relationship and look forward to powering Lockheed Martin’s next generation of programs for many years to come.”
With a Beginning-Of-Life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30 percent and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, Emcore’s industry-leading multi-junction solar cells provide the highest levels of performance to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.
Issue VI 2014
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