Cost-effective perovskite solar cell shows over 12% efficiency
© 2014 EPFL
Despite their solar-energy conversion efficiency, hybrid lead halide perovskites have high costs of manufacturing because of the expensive materials used for hole-transporting. By using a cheap inorganic alternative, EPFL scientists have achieved 12.4% power-conversion efficiency.
The new version of the Grätzel cells uses a perovskite as a light harvester overlain with a hole-transport material, which is responsible for the movement of electrons across the system. In the past two years, hybrid organic-inorganic hole transporters have been used on perovskite cells up to an efficiency above 15%. However, the cost of manufacturing is prohibitive.
The team of Michael Grätzel at EPFL has successfully used an alternative, considerably cheaper material as a hole transporter on lead halide perovskite devices. Under full solar illumination, they have achieved a 12.4% efficiency. The success opens the way for cost-effective, energy-efficient perovskite solar cells.
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This work involves collaboration between EPFL’s Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, the University of Hyogo Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science and Osaka Gas’s Energy Technology Laboratories.
Reference
Qin P, Tanaka S, Ito S, Tetreault N, Manabe K, Nishino H, Nazeeruddin MK, Grätzel M. (2014) Inorganic hole conductor-based lead halide perovskite solar cells with 12.4% conversion efficiency. Nature Communications 5, 3834 DOI:10.1038/ncomms4834