http://pubs.acs.org/journal/aelccp
Perovskite Solar Cells on Their Way to the Market
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photovoltaic market as standalone devices, or whether tandem devices with silicon (or other established technologies) will be the first perovskite products to be launched. To give an account of the latest industrial developments in perovskite solar cells, I have gathered a few quotes from the representatives of three industrial participants at PSCO: “The recent, very successful PSCO 2017 conference supports the view of Oxford PV that perovskite-based PV has made substantial progress towards industrialization. As The Perovskite Company, we are working to demonstrate a full silicon− perovskite solar cell at our facility in Brandeburg an der Havel, a key step on the path to commercialize this important technology.” Chris Case, Chief Technology Officer, Oxford Photovoltaics “Frontier Energy Solutions (FES) is focusing on allperovskite modules with high efficiency and long-term stability satisfying the IEC 61646 test standards. We are now focusing on large-area, high-efficiency, and long-term stable perovskite modules using a unique low-temperature coating process. Our product is aiming at world best efficiency and stability using the most inexpensive process. FES will also focus on tandem with silicon devices. Once our own technology for a single-junction perovskite solar cell is developed, it will be applied to tandem structures.” Nam-Gyu Park, Chief Technology Officer, Frontier Energy Solutions “One of the major challenges that perovskite photovoltaics has to overcome are the constraints set by the inherent moisture sensitivity of the materials constituting the photoactive layers of such devices. This is particularly difficult in the case of architectures that utilize plastic foils as substrates, as opposed to glass; these are not natural barriers to oxygen and water. During the PSCO conference, we presented flexible perovskite modules that display undisturbed power generation when immersed in water, demonstrating a major step towards the commercial entrance of our products. The next steps are to validate our technology via verifying compliance with the IEC/ EN 61646 standards and to launch the prototype production line.” Olga Malinkiewicz, cofounder and Chief Technology Officer, Saule Technologies From the quotes above, one can clearly recognize two main directions in perovskite solar cells pathway to the market: (1) perovskite/silicon tandems and (2) flexible and standalone devices. Considering the recent progress in temporal stability and the innate high efficiency of perovskite solar cells, the horizon for the launch of an industrial-scale perovskite product can be estimated to be of the order of five years (DOI: 10. 1021/acsenergylett.7b00523). This issue of ACS Energy Letters focuses on the multifaceted aspect of perovskites, ranging from very basic physicochemical aspects (see the Perspective by Bonn et al., “Role of Dielectric
recently attended the third Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO) conference, which was held September 18−20, 2017 in Oxford (U.K.). Along with Henry Snaith, Md. K. Nazeeruddin, and Annamaria Petrozza, I served as one of the co-Organizers of this meeting. The conference was an occasion to interact with nearly 400 attendees and capture the latest advances from international researchers (∼100 oral and ∼170 poster presentations) in the metal-halide perovskites field, including the Perovskite Death Starlet, see Figure 1. This PSCO conference became a
Figure 1. The Perovskite Death Starlet. Photo taken by F. De Angelis at the PSCO conference in Oxford during the presentation of Dr. Ievgen Levchuk (Friedrich Alexander Universität, Germany) “Perovskite Ink: From Nanocrystals Design to Device Application.” The picture, used with permission, shows a hollow perovskite microcrystal used to fabricate an ink closely resembling the Death Star in Star Wars.
cornerstone, at least in my perception, of how far and how quickly the perovskite field has advanced toward the launch of a possible industrial product. Although most of the presentations were devoted to basic science, including elaborate theoretical chemistry, materials science, and solid-state physics concepts, discussions and presentations related to practical applications were prominent. This evolution of the theme, I believe, is a kind of unique aspect of perovskites, which have raised tremendous interest both from fundamental academic and industrial perspectives. While basic science studies continue to reveal the factors behind the intriguing properties of perovskite materials, several companies worldwide are progressing toward the launch of perovskite solar cell panels in the market. Today, the debate centers on whether perovskites will make their way through the © 2017 American Chemical Society
Published: November 10, 2017 2640
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b01038 ACS Energy Lett. 2017, 2, 2640−2641
Editorial
Cite This: ACS Energy Lett. 2017, 2, 2640-2641
ACS Energy Letters
Editorial
Drag in Polaron Mobility in Lead Halide Perovskites”; DOI: 10. 1021/acsenergylett.7b00717) to large-scale photovoltaic deployment on the terawatt (TW) scale (Viewpoint by Berry et al.; DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00964). Bonn et al. discuss an important term which may have been overlooked in determining the mobility of charge carriers in lead halide perovskites, namely the dielectric drag exerted by the dipolar field of A-site cations. Berry et al. discuss a roadmap toward TW-scale perovskite photovoltaics highlighting the potential low cost and inherently scalable production technology. The Energy Focus “A Conversation with Henry Snaith” (DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00979), based on an interview I recorded in Oxford, also highlights this dualism, discussing the early discoveries such as the contribution of perovskite to charge transport in Al2O3 solid-state devices, along with an outlook toward the latest industrial developments. Designing lead-free perovskites for solar cells also remains an ultimate challenge. Testifying to the huge interest in alternative perovskites formulations, Henry Snaith’s Review paper on lead-free perovskites published earlier in ACS Energy Letters (DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00499) has gathered nearly 10 000 downloads in less than one year. With perovskite research and development now entering into “phase 2”, one may wonder how long will it take basic science studies to translate into everyday operational devices. It is natural to expect a transition of perovskite scientific literature toward applied research topics at some point in the near future. However, a fundamental understanding of materials and interfaces remains the key toward achieving more efficient and stable devices, possibly playing a role in transferring the technology to the market. Hopefully, the dual nature of perovskite advances will continue to surprise us in the coming years. Perspectives and virtual issues published in ACS Energy Letters provide the latest advances in the field. We look forward to receiving the most exciting science in the perovskite field.
Filippo De Angelis, Senior Editor
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Computational Laboratory for Hybrid/Organic Photovoltaics (CLHYO), Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM-CNR), Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy D3-CompuNet, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
AUTHOR INFORMATION
ORCID
Filippo De Angelis: 0000-0003-3833-1975 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
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DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b01038 ACS Energy Lett. 2017, 2, 2640−2641
