Scientists just got one step closer to the next generation of solar panels. Today’s solar panels convert sunlight to electricity using silicon crystal chemistry. Usually you'll hear about mono-crystalline or poly-crystalline panels. Future solar panels might rely on Perovskite, a promising material that has the potential to make panels cheaper, simpler, and more efficient. Currently there is a lot of new research coming out that shows scientists just need to tweak Perovskite. They need to maintain its light-absorbing capabilities for longer periods on time. Current panels can be installed for about 25 years and at today's market price will take 13 years to pay off a complete system. Perovskite could reduce that payback to under 5 years but currently panels are lasting for between 4 and 8 years which leaves something to be desired. Research at Los Alamos National Laboratory release this week may have something to say about that though.
The problem is that Perovskite solar cells have the pesky tendency to degrade in sunlight. However, a new study has found both the cause and a solution for this issue, a research breakthrough potentially removing one roadblock to commercialization for this promising technology. They have discovered a way to make the cells heal when they become damaged, reducing the need for maintenance and increasing panel life. The team is determined that more can be done with this technology, it just needs time to develop and learn from the changes they've made. These results have seen a good amount of scrutiny this week and it has been yet to be proven outside of a laboratory environment.
Perovskite solar panels aren’t yet ready for rooftops across America, but this development helps researchers tackle one of the biggest hurdles on the way. I'll be keeping an eye on this story as my solar array of about 2500W is strictly space limited at the moment and the price for used panels remains high in the current market so upgrading could be in my future.