Engineers Just Increased Solar Panel Efficiency by 250%
Perovskite solar cells are getting seriously good.
Solar power is nothing short of planet-saving and revolutionary. It produces a measly 6 g of carbon dioxide for every kWh produced. For comparison, that is 166 times smaller than coal power! But it doesn’t end there; solar power is literally the cheapest energy ever, costing as little as $20 per MWh, or about four times less than coal. However, thanks to a recent breakthrough from the University of Rochester, New York, solar power is about to get even better, given that researchers have managed to create a solar panel that is cheaper and 250% more efficient!
Almost all solar cells are made from silicon, but the researchers from the University of Rochester took things in a slightly different direction. They have been developing perovskite cells, which replace silicon with perovskite crystals.
Now, if you are a regular reader of mine or a solar power enthusiast, you will have already heard of perovskite. But if you haven’t, you should know that these crystals are being hailed as the future of solar power. They use far fewer rare or complex materials than silicon cells and are significantly easier and less energy intensive to build. Not only does this make them potentially far more eco-friendly than silicon cells, but…
