New solar cell invention could lead to cheap solar power

• North Carolina researchers have developed a brand new perovskite solar cell method.

Cheap solar energy might be a reality sooner rather than later as researchers in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a novel way of stabilizing perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite solar cells possess high solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies at reduced manufacturing costs.

Because of the fact that these solar cells hold a great deal of promise in making cheap renewable energy, they have frequently been analyzed. Nonetheless, regardless of their promising abilities of top solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies and low manufacturing costs, their stability when subjected to moisture and oxygen remains a struggle to overcome. This stability issue has to be solved before these cells may truly be considered ready for the marketplace.

Jinsong Huang, a professor at the applied physical sciences department in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with his study group of specialists from various scientific areas, have initiated an advanced way of stabilizing cells.

The team is currently addressing the stability challenge using a novel method designed to improve the immunity of the perovskite solar cells under ambient conditions, Tech Xplore reports.

Via their new method, the investigators are creating cheap solar energy by harvesting the sun’s energy employing a procedure which is more affordable than standard energy capture procedures.

Cheap solar energy can benefit people throughout the world.

Huang says that there's an abundant quantity of solar energy and just a small part of sunlight is needed to create electricity. He and his team of investigators wish to make electricity utilizing sunlight and convert it to clean energy that's affordable.

To find the inexpensive alternatives, Huang's team is working together with people in multidisciplinary areas and in varied fields of science. Their aim is to lower the cost of solar energy and to do this, they need to consider how cheap the solution can be.