As one of the most sustainable and abundant energy sources in the planet, solar energy has become more and more reliable, thanks to the vigorous research efforts in recent decades. The challenge is to find a highly affordable way to turn it into electricity that we can use in our daily life. A new material known as perovskite has been in the spotlight for producing solar energy of late.
Perovskite, a crystalline mineral found in the Earth’s mantle, was discovered five years ago. Since then it has become a new and promising material for solar cells as it has the ability to absorb light more efficiently than silicon, from which the current solar cells are made.
Another advantage of perovskite is that, compared to silicon, it can be produced much more inexpensively from common metals and industrial chemicals. Besides, it is unnecessary to undergo the complex process of producing thin film solar cells as perovskite-based material can be readily printed onto glass panels. Owing to this versatility, researchers are trying to apply perovskite to develop coloured and semi-transparent glass panels to integrate directly onto the facades of modern glass-walled buildings.
Despite all the benefits, developers are still cautious because they need to make sure that the material is durable and stable as it is quite reactive to moisture and high temperature. It may be another few years before it comes close to what it promises to be a magical solar energy solution.
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