August 2023

UNSW Sydney has received more than AUD$6 million (around USD$3,850,000) in the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Research Awards (DECRA) round for 2024. Among the recipients are two perovskite-oriented projects.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is supporting 200 new early career research projects with more than $86 million in funding for this 2024 round. Fourteen of the 200 projects have been awarded to early career researchers at UNSW.

Japanese electronics giant, Toshiba, has reportedly achieved a power conversion of 16.6% for a 703cm² polymer film-based perovskite solar module.

Toshiba representatives were quoted saying that the Company has provided large film-based perovskite PV module as experimental materials for demonstrations, probably referring to a project conducted at the Aobadai station in Yokohama that includes analyzing indoor performance.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have developed a cost-effective method for creating bio-inspired solar devices that could improve the performance of perovskite solar technology. The team drew inspiration from cell membranes, the protective barriers around cells in all living organisms.

The researchers combined perovskite solar cell material with a synthesized version of natural lipid biomolecules to help protect against moisture-induced degradation. These biomolecules are fatty or waxy materials that don’t dissolve in water. The biomolecules formed a membrane-like layer around the perovskite, boosting stability and efficiency in tests. The approach could have a great impact on how perovskite solar cells are designed.

Researchers from the Netherlands' Eindhoven University of Technology, TNO, TNO/Holst Centre and Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES) have designed a monolithic perovskite-PERC tandem solar cell that utilizes a new type of tunnel recombination junction (TRJ) based on indium tin oxide (ITO), nickel(II) oxide (NiO), and carbazole (2PACz).

The scientists explained that TRJs are usually based on ITO and 2PACz alone, and that the addition of the NiO layer is intended to reduce electrical shunts in the perovskite top cell, due to the inhomogeneity of the 2PACz layer on ITO.

Researchers from The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Macquarie University and University of Technology Sydney have demonstrated efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on steel substrates.

The team explained that steel, being flexible and conductive, can itself can act as both a substrate and an electrode for either large-area-monolithic-panel or smaller-area-singular single-junction or multi-junction cell fabrication. The reported cells could be used for building-integrated PV (BIPV), vehicle-integrated solar (VIPV), or other design-integrated photovoltaics for terrestrial or space applications.

Power Roll, a developer of lightweight flexible solar films, recently announced a £1 million funding round led by Maven Capital Partners. Power Roll has been doing work on perovskites combined with its patented low-cost and high-resolution conductive surfaces Microgrooves technology.

The transaction comprised two investments from Maven-managed regional funds including a £750,000 investment from the North East Development Capital Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, and a £250,000 investment from the Finance Durham Fund, established by Durham County Council and overseen by Business Durham.

Solaires Entreprises Inc. is a Canadian solar energy startup based in Victoria, BC., who has developed perovskite materials and photovoltaic (PV) modules, designed for integration into IoT devices, small consumer electronics, and smart gadgets. Powered by indoor light, the cells are extremely efficient, modular, and are configurable to suit the application.

Dr. Sahar Sam is Solaires Chief Science Officer, and she was kind enough to answer a few questions we had about Soliares. Dr. Sam holds a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from Shiraz University and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria. 

Hello Dr. Sam! We'll be happy to get a short introduction to Solaires, the technology, and products.

Founded in 2020 in Victoria, BC, Solaires Entreprises Inc is at the forefront of the next generation of photovoltaics, targeted for both outdoor light and indoor light, by harnessing the promise of perovskites. Our perovskite photovoltaics are light, thin and made of readily available and low cost materials.

It was reported that Sekisui Chemical, a Japanese plastics maker, will begin mass production of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in an effort to catch up with Chinese competitors.

The company will invest more than 10 billion yen (over USD $68 million) to build a new manufacturing facility with an annual production volume of several hundred thousand square meters by 2030.

Researchers from Chonnam National University, Chinese Academy of Sciences,  Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Pennsylvania State University have introduced an alternative solar cell design fully based on inorganic perovskites. Their solar cells could be easier to fabricate on a large-scale, while also achieving promising power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).

The key objective of the recent work was to create new solar cells fully based on inorganic perovskites using a developed method that could be easy to up-scale. Ultimately, they fabricated their solar cells using hot-air and thermal evaporation deposition techniques that work at ambient conditions without requiring polar solvents (i.e., liquids containing both positive and negative charges).

Researchers from Harvard University have reported a bioinspired liquid-based encapsulation strategy, that offers protection from water without sacrificing the operational properties of the encapsulated materials.

Using halide perovskite as a model system, the team showed that damage to the perovskite from exposure to water is drastically reduced when it is coated by a polymer matrix with infused hydrophobic oil.