Scientists’ novel substance boosts exciting alternative path for solar tech: ‘This is very important’

Did you know that there are many ways to make a working solar panel without using the standard material, silicon? 

Researchers at Nanjing University have made a breakthrough in getting one of these alternatives that usually has environmental drawbacks to run clean and green, per Tech Xplore.

Instead of silicon, the researchers used a mineral called perovskite to make a photovoltaic cell. This method could help create more affordable and available solar panels. 

This is nothing new, but what happened next was groundbreaking. 

Perovskite needs a solvent to make PV cells on a large scale, but the most effective solvent studied so far is a chemical used to produce plastics, pesticides, and paint — and it’s toxic to the planet, the outlet explained.

That’s where the researchers stepped in. With a new environmentally friendly solvent they created, they successfully used perovskite in a PV cell without the usual toxins. Best of all, the cell still performed at a high level and efficiently converted power, said Ke Xiao, co-author of the paper. The findings have been published in Nature Energy, Tech Xplore reported.

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The study shows that alternatives or innovations to silicon in solar panels have real promise. The researchers believe methods such as this one could be implemented on a large commercial scale worldwide, hence the importance of ensuring the process doesn’t harm or pollute the planet, Tech Xplore explained. 

Plus, everyday folks could benefit if silicon alternatives lower the cost of installing solar panels. They are one of the best ways to save money on electric bills while diverting some business from finite, planet-warming energy sources. 

“The most notable achievement of this new work is the proposal of a green solvent system,” Xiao told Tech Xplore. “[It] can be widely applied in various types of tandem cells in the future.”

“In our next studies, we plan to continue trying to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of all-perovskite tandem modules, as this is very important for industrialization,” Xiao added.

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