ASU Researcher Secures Funding for Perovskite Solar Panel Standards

• Arizona State University researcher Nick Rolston is paving the way for reliable perovskite solar panels with NSF funding, aiming to create industry standards for durability and efficiency.

Arizona State University researcher Nick Rolston has received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop standards for the reliability and longevity of perovskite solar panels. Unlike silicon panels, perovskite panels have no established standards for quality and often degrade quickly, losing efficiency within a year. Rolston aims to create lab tests that can predict the long-term durability of perovskite panels within days or weeks, rather than years.

To determine the causes of degradation in perovskite panels, Rolston and his team will conduct a series of tests that simulate various environmental factors such as temperature fluctuations, sunlight exposure, and mechanical stress. The research will also include workforce development and education efforts, with a focus on recruiting women and Indigenous students to conduct research on perovskite solar panels.

Ultimately, Rolston hopes to establish testing standards not only for perovskite materials but also for other technologies in the future, such as quantum computers and superconducting materials. The project aims to inform the development of new technologies and ensure their reliability and longevity in the long run.

How will ASU researcher Nick Rolston improve reliability of perovskite solar panels?

• Conducting lab tests to predict the long-term durability of perovskite panels within days or weeks
  
• Simulating environmental factors such as temperature fluctuations, sunlight exposure, and mechanical stress to determine causes of degradation
  
• Including workforce development and education efforts to recruit women and Indigenous students for research on perovskite solar panels
  
• Establishing testing standards for perovskite materials and potentially other technologies in the future
• Informing the development of new technologies and ensuring their reliability and longevity in the long run.