In cooperation with the SUNOVATION business, KIT scientists established perovskite solar modules with marble optics for exteriors. For this reason, the group of Paetzold, in cooperation with industry partner SUNOVATION, studied an inkjet technique to color the perovskite solar modules. The chosen technique has a 2nd significant advantage: “So far, color impression of colored perovskite solar cells has actually been reliant on the angle of the incident light,” task organizer Helge Eggers, IMT, discusses. In a big series of experiments, researchers proved that the technique originally established for silicon solar modules can also be applied effectively to perovskite solar modules. Solar cells colored cyan, magenta, and yellow reached up to 60 percent of the original performance when transforming solar energy into power.
Color Impression Is Independent of Incident Light
In a big series of experiments, scientists proved that the method initially established for silicon solar modules can likewise be used efficiently to perovskite solar modules. Solar cells colored cyan, magenta, and yellow reached up to 60 percent of the initial efficiency when transforming solar energy into power.
Marble Look Thanks to Color Mix
Researchers produced solar modules looking like numerous structure products. Perovskite solar modules with white marble optics reached an extremely high effectiveness of up to 14 percent. “For building-integrated photovoltaics it can be specified that an incorporated solar cell of small performance is much better than a wall supplying no power at all.
Recommendation: “Perovskite Solar Cells with Vivid, Angle-Invariant, and Customizable Inkjet-Printed Colorization for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics” by Helge Eggers, Saba Gharibzadeh, Stefan Koch, Fabian Schackmar, David B. Ritzer, Tobias Abzieher, Bryce S. Richards, Christof Erban and Ulrich W. Paetzold, 8 January 2022, Solar RRL.DOI: 10.1002/ solr.202100897.
Solar cells as building product? In cooperation with the SUNOVATION business, KIT scientists developed perovskite solar modules with marble optics for facades. Credit: Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT
Package Researchers show colored Perovskite Solar Modules for exteriors of homes.
From May, this will also apply to personal households, whose share of solar installations still is very small. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now established colored solar cells from inexpensive perovskite semiconductor material.
At the laboratory, perovskite solar batteries currently reach efficiencies above 25 percent. Compared to silicon solar batteries of similar efficiency, the preliminary materials utilized in the previous case are more affordable and production techniques are simpler. Up until now, nevertheless, this has only held true on the little scale. “Commercialization of this technology is still prevented by doing not have stability of the modules and the problem to move the high effectiveness reached on small to larger scales,” states tenure-track Professor Ulrich W. Paetzold from KITs Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT). However this is the requirement for the innovation to lead to the advancement of cost-effective solar modules. The point of view is attractive, as numerous of such modules might be integrated in still unused parts of buildings, such as facades. For such usage, expenses and efficiency play a function, as do the looks. For this reason, the team of Paetzold, in cooperation with market partner SUNOVATION, studied an inkjet approach to color the perovskite solar modules. Its benefit: Coloring the modules by inkjet printing is economical and likewise suited for bigger surfaces.
