The price of photovoltaic panels solars

      The price of solar panels has jumped in recent weeks. In question: the increase in the cost of raw materials, electronic components and transport.

    In photovoltaics, the habit is to lower prices. In 12 years, the price of an average installation has been divided by three, if not more. But in recent weeks, the price of photovoltaics has risen sharply.

    With political change in the United States and the vertical correction of environment goals in a few nations, request is solid from one side of the planet to the other, underlines Benoît Fosseprez, overseer of Green Energy 4 Seasons. Likewise, the size of ventures is progressively significant: sun oriented fields are in any event, beginning to show up in Wallonia. Subsequently, the costs of provisions took off 15-20%.

    Lampiris subtlety to some degree. "On the actual boards, the expansion that we see dates from the most recent couple of weeks and is around 10%. The inverters will pursue a similar direction. Then again, on copper, aluminum or treated steel parts , the cost of which started to climb a while back, the increment surpasses 30% ", subtleties Martin Jasienski, Managing Director of WinWatt, the Lampiris auxiliary gaining practical experience in the establishment of sun powered chargers.

The cost of raw materials

    Several factors explain this skyrocketing prices. First, the rise in raw materials and the slowness of certain factories to restart after the crisis. "The cost price of a solar panel depends largely on the metal used for the frame, but also on the glass and silicon handled. These three raw materials are more and more expensive. So much so that in October, the prices should be 15 to 20% higher than at the start of the year ", notes Steven Leeten of Rexel Belgium, which distributes these installations.

    Then, the rise in the price of electronic components. Finally, that of transport. "At the end of 2019, we were paying 2,500 euros to transport a container to Belgium. Today, we have to pay between 11,000 and 12,000 euros for the same service," continues Steven Leeten.

    And Europe is completely dependent on Asian producers. At the end of 2018, the European Union in fact abolished import taxes on Chinese solar panels, so that today, European production is almost non-existent.

Still limited impact for customers

    Some installers have already started to pass on, at least in part, this increase to their private customers. "Our offers are generally valid for 14 days, explains an employee of the Flemish company Dirickx. A customer recently came back to us 15 days after sending the quote. The latter had suddenly swelled by 1,200 euros. It's difficult to explain to the customer. But on new offers, I can't sell at a loss either. "

    Other installers have not yet adjusted their prices. "The price increase has not yet been reflected in the quotes that we have made and these offers remain valid", indicates Olivier Desclée, spokesperson for Electrabel. "Our price lists have not changed since the beginning of the year. We have a fairly large stock, and we still have capacity for July and part of August on the basis of the old prices", adds Martin. Jasienski.

  But even with rising prices, photovoltaic installations will remain profitable, our interlocutors insist. "Taking into account the prosumer tax, an installation always pays for itself in 5 or 6 years in Wallonia. And the increase in the price of installations will be offset by that of electricity", argues Benoît Fosseprez.

TESLA AND IKÉA, SOON GREEN ELECTRICITY SUPPLIERS

    The sale of green electricity to individuals will soon have two new players. In the United States, Tesla plans to take its first steps in the state of Texas. The firm wishes to diversify its activity to supply individuals with green electricity using its own technologies. In Europe, Ikea is about to take its first steps as a supplier of green electricity to Sweden. 

Ikéa: from the sale of solar panels to the sale of green electricity

    “Bringing affordable solar and wind power to more people seems like the natural next step in our sustainability journey.” So Bojan Stupar, Ikea's sales manager in Sweden, commented on the furniture giant's new offering. From September, Swedish consumers will be able to take out an electricity contract with Ikéa. The group's promise: electricity 100% from renewable energies. And sold at cost.

    Ikea’s interest in renewable energies is nothing new. In nearly ten years, the Swedish company has invested 2.5 billion euros for its energy transition. First, Ikéa has deployed ENR production units to cover all or part of the electrical needs of its stores and warehouses. Today, Ikéa has 920,000 photovoltaic panels on its roofs. The company has also invested in wind power, with 534 wind turbines to complement solar infrastructure. To respond to the enthusiasm for domestic energy production, Ikéa began marketing its own solar panels five years ago. The supply of electricity therefore reinforces this activity.

Ikéa's future energy supply

    However, Ikéa is not embarking on large-scale green electricity production. The kit furniture specialist is not an energy specialist. Its parent company, the Ingka Group holding company, has signed a partnership agreement with Svea Solar, one of the European market leaders in the solar market. Ikéa’s new green electricity offering is called Strömma.

    Concretely, Ikéa intends to buy green electricity certified 100% from renewable energies. For this, it will buy electricity on the NordPool electricity marketplace. Electricity will come from wind farms and photovoltaic parks. It will then be resold at cost price to consumers who have subscribed to the Strömma offer. Jan Gardberg, Ingka’s sales manager, sums up the group’s ambition: “We want to make electricity from renewable sources more accessible and attractive for everyone.”

Tesla enters the Texas green electricity market

    Tesla is also preparing to transform into a green electricity supplier. On August 16, the company got noticed: it applied to the Texas Utilities Commission to be registered as a supplier of green electricity to individuals. The Texas market already has many suppliers of electricity. But Tesla intends to distinguish itself from its competitors. The company controls both the production and storage of green electricity. All that remains is to ensure the distribution.

    Tesla’s Texas project relies on the deployment of new energy storage units. The firm plans to install new battery farms in the state: one near Houston, and another near Austin, where a Tesla gigafactory is already located. If Tesla quickly gets the green light from local authorities, the company could launch its new business as a green electricity supplier before the end of 2021, just in time to woo Texan consumers before the next winter.

Tesla chooses Texas to test new offering

    Because despite strong competition, the Texas electricity market suffers from a bad image among its consumers. The US state, which has few interconnections with neighboring states, has suffered from several problems in recent years. At the start of the year, the Texas power grid suffered major cuts due to weather conditions.

    The integration of more locally produced electricity, and the assurance of a storage system that guarantees grid reliability, could appeal to many households. Tesla thinks so anyway, since it is precisely in the state market that Elon Musk's firm chooses to test its new business.

Ikéa and Tesla: the same interest in the supply of green electricity

    Like Ikea, Tesla has developed a natural interest in providing green electricity. The company, initially specializing in electric vehicles, quickly chose to diversify its business. Tesla offers solutions for the production of green electricity at home with its solar tiles, to equip homes. The company is also well established in the battery market with its PowerWall system.

    What developments can we expect in the future? Are Tesla and Ikéa going to expand their green electricity sales business elsewhere in the world? In Tesla's case, no agenda has been set. The firm has not communicated on a possible deployment of its green electricity supply offer. But it's a safe bet that like the Solar Roof, the test in the US market later resulted in deployment in the international market.

    Ikea is more clearly committed. The Swedish group aims to offer the Strömma green electricity supply in all the countries where it is currently present. But for now, no deadline has been specified.

Wind, solar, hydrogen ... these green energies of the future

Research institutes, large groups, start-ups, all are thinking about the energy avenues of the future. Here is an overview of existing and future energy sources, which together will help make the world a little greener.

    Fossil fuels still represent 85% of the energy mix worldwide. A significant figure which is however tending to decrease, thanks to the efforts made by the majority of States. Europe is part of this trend: its framework for climate and energy by 2030 aims to increase the share of renewable energies to at least 27%.

Dealing with nuclear power

    The experts are clear: doing without nuclear is complicated in our energy mix. “To date, we do not know of other means of production capable of producing such a quantity of energy on a limited surface and with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

    According to Ademe (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), an electric kilowatt hour in France emits 0.09 kilograms of CO2, against 0.46 in Europe as a whole and even 0 , 56 in the United States. “The other advantage of nuclear power is that it can operate all year round, continuously, where solar or wind power is by nature intermittent. Small reactors are also being developed, which can be integrated more easily into electricity networks and with more local use, ”adds Philippe Stohr, director of nuclear energy at CEA.

Hydraulics, already very present

    It is the first of renewable energies, with 2,300 hydroelectric installations on the territory. “But it will be difficult to develop it much more there, because I find it difficult to imagine major dam projects emerging. Conversely, in developing countries, for example in the Congo, the potential is enormous, ”argues François-Pascal Neirac, of Mines ParisTech. In fact, it is unthinkable to create huge hydroelectric power stations in France as in China.

    In 2009, the largest power plant in the world was put into production there: the Three Gorges dam. In 2014, the China Three Gorges Corporation boasted of having produced as much electricity over the year as around fifteen nuclear reactors. These colossal works (180 billion yuan, or 23 billion euros) have enabled China to claim to be the world's leading producer of electrical energy.

Electricity generation from solar energy

    Solar represents barely 2% of electricity consumption in metropolitan France, according to the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, but the potential is there. Engie estimates that solar energy could reach “16% of total energy production in 2050”, with photovoltaic panels as close as possible to consumers. “Photovoltaic solar energy will be integrated everywhere, in cities, on the roofs of parking lots or players in mass distribution, homes… We have many non-active surfaces, it is a question of making them energetically active!

Wind power, a future at sea

    It is criticized, however, the wind produces twice as much as the solar one (but two times less than the hydraulic one). “It is one of the energies of the future, that's for sure,” says François-Pascal Neirac. Research is being carried out to make wind turbines more efficient. “This requires better anticipation of wind swings, which can damage the blades, or the development of a wind map, in order to better position the wind turbines and thus improve efficiency,” explains François Kalaydjian, Director of Economics and oversees IFP Energies nouvelles.

    Above all, the future of wind power will depend on the sea. “We are working on floating wind turbines. By placing them at greater depths, at a greater distance from the coast, we can, with the same farm, produce up to a third of more energy, ”adds François Kalaydjian. Wind power could thus represent up to 11% of the electricity produced in Europe in 2030.

Hydrogen, a useful conversion

    More than a source of energy, it is a means of storing it. For Patrick Paillère, former Areva, now president of the start-up Ergosup, “the idea is to convert electricity into hydrogen gas. This accelerates the deployment of intermittent renewable energies, such as wind and solar, because gas is stored. Rather than losing electricity, we get this famous hydrogen gas, which can be burned or converted back into electricity in a hydrogen fuel cell ”. While hydrogen has long been produced from hydrocarbons or fuel oil, it can also be created with water and electricity, through a process called electrolysis. “It's a green way to produce it,” concludes Patrick Paillère. Hydrogen could represent a fifth of the energy consumed in the world in 2050, a market estimated at 2,500 billion dollars.

United States taxes on Chinese solar panels

    China had called for the cancellation of taxes imposed by Trump on Chinese solar panels in 2018, at the very start of a fierce trade war that was to last two years. The WTO has just rejected Beijing's request ... to the great satisfaction of the Biden government.

    Chinese solar panels had been hit with steep declining taxes (safeguard duties) on imports into the United States, and China had protested to the World Trade Organization, demanding their cancellation. On Thursday, September 2, the WTO rejected Beijing's request, to the great satisfaction of the Biden government, which unabashedly saluted this memory of the Trump administration, one of the first protectionist measures that had led to a bitter trade war between Washington and Beijing, which lasted nearly two years.

Chinese industrial domination ...

    As a reminder, in 2018, the Trump administration denounced the fact that China was ultra dominant in the global production of photovoltaic cells and solar panels. On January 22, 2018, the United States imposed declining safeguard duties (30% in the first year, 25% in the 2nd, 20% in the 3rd and 15% in the 4th) on solar panels imported from China, on the grounds that American industrialists in the sector were in danger from Chinese domination. The application of these rights is due to expire on February 6, 2022.

And "serious damage" to the American production chain

    "The Biden-Harris administration is committed to securing America's role in clean energy supply chains," she said, adding that the United States must "make historic investments in infrastructure to unleash the full potential of solar energy and create well-paying jobs in cutting-edge fields that will help tackle the climate crisis ".

    The USTR recalls that China had requested in July 2019 the creation of a WTO panel, claiming that these duties were "inconsistent with various obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs (...) and under the WTO Agreement on Safeguard Rights ".

    The panel "established a causal link between increased imports and serious injury to the domestic industry".

(with AFP)

Wind, solar, hydrogen ... these green energies of the future

Research institutes, large groups, start-ups, all are thinking about the energy avenues of the future. Here is an overview of existing and future energy sources, which together will help make the world a little greener.

    Fossil fuels still represent 85% of the energy mix worldwide. A significant figure which is however tending to decrease, thanks to the efforts made by the majority of States. Europe is part of this trend: its framework for climate and energy by 2030 aims to increase the share of renewable energies to at least 27%.

Dealing with nuclear power

    The experts are clear: doing without nuclear is complicated in our energy mix. “To date, we do not know of other means of production capable of producing such a quantity of energy on a limited surface and with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

    According to Ademe (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), an electric kilowatt hour in France emits 0.09 kilograms of CO2, against 0.46 in Europe as a whole and even 0 , 56 in the United States. “The other advantage of nuclear power is that it can operate all year round, continuously, where solar or wind power is by nature intermittent. Small reactors are also being developed, which can be integrated more easily into electricity networks and with more local use, ”adds Philippe Stohr, director of nuclear energy at CEA.

Hydraulics, already very present

    It is the first of renewable energies, with 2,300 hydroelectric installations on the territory. “But it will be difficult to develop it much more there, because I find it difficult to imagine major dam projects emerging. Conversely, in developing countries, for example in the Congo, the potential is enormous, ”argues François-Pascal Neirac, of Mines ParisTech. In fact, it is unthinkable to create huge hydroelectric power stations in France as in China.

    In 2009, the largest power plant in the world was put into production there: the Three Gorges dam. In 2014, the China Three Gorges Corporation boasted of having produced as much electricity over the year as around fifteen nuclear reactors. These colossal works (180 billion yuan, or 23 billion euros) have enabled China to claim to be the world's leading producer of electrical energy.

Electricity generation from solar energy

    Solar represents barely 2% of electricity consumption in metropolitan France, according to the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, but the potential is there. Engie estimates that solar energy could reach “16% of total energy production in 2050”, with photovoltaic panels as close as possible to consumers. “Photovoltaic solar energy will be integrated everywhere, in cities, on the roofs of parking lots or players in mass distribution, homes… We have many non-active surfaces, it is a question of making them energetically active!

Wind power, a future at sea

    It is criticized, however, the wind produces twice as much as the solar one (but two times less than the hydraulic one). “It is one of the energies of the future, that's for sure,” says François-Pascal Neirac. Research is being carried out to make wind turbines more efficient. “This requires better anticipation of wind swings, which can damage the blades, or the development of a wind map, in order to better position the wind turbines and thus improve efficiency,” explains François Kalaydjian, Director of Economics and oversees IFP Energies nouvelles.

    Above all, the future of wind power will depend on the sea. “We are working on floating wind turbines. By placing them at greater depths, at a greater distance from the coast, we can, with the same farm, produce up to a third of more energy, ”adds François Kalaydjian. Wind power could thus represent up to 11% of the electricity produced in Europe in 2030.

Hydrogen, a useful conversion

    More than a source of energy, it is a means of storing it. For Patrick Paillère, former Areva, now president of the start-up Ergosup, “the idea is to convert electricity into hydrogen gas. This accelerates the deployment of intermittent renewable energies, such as wind and solar, because gas is stored. Rather than losing electricity, we get this famous hydrogen gas, which can be burned or converted back into electricity in a hydrogen fuel cell ”. While hydrogen has long been produced from hydrocarbons or fuel oil, it can also be created with water and electricity, through a process called electrolysis. “It's a green way to produce it,” concludes Patrick Paillère. Hydrogen could represent a fifth of the energy consumed in the world in 2050, a market estimated at 2,500 billion dollars.

Total scores points in solar power in the United States

Total is adding 2.2 GW to its solar portfolio in the United States. The energy giant is also getting its hands on 600 MW of battery storage projects in Texas.

    Total is pushing its pawns in solar energy in the United States. strengthens its presence in the American market by acquiring a portfolio of 2.2 GW of solar projects and 600 MW of battery storage projects, all located in Texas. These projects are bought from SunChase Power, a renewable energy company specializing in the development of large-scale solar projects, and MAP RE / ES, a private energy investment company. This follows the recent announcement of a partnership with 174 Power Global to develop a 1.6 GW solar portfolio.

    The portfolio consists of four large solar projects, each with associated battery energy storage systems, in industrial areas near Houston with high electricity demand. Construction of the first two projects is scheduled to start later this year. All of the projects will be commissioned between 2023 and 2024. Remuneration paid by Total to Sunchase and MAP RE / ES will be phased in as the projects progress.

>> To read also - Wind turbines, solar, hydrogen ... These green energies of the future

    Total will enter into a 1 GW power purchase agreement (PPA) from this portfolio of solar energy and energy storage to cover all of the electricity consumption of its industrial sites operated in the United States, including the Port Arthur refining-petrochemicals platform and the La Porte and Carville petrochemical sites.

>> Our service - Save money on your electricity and gas bills with our Energy comparator

    "I am very happy that Total is thus contributing to the development of solar electricity in the United States. We are ready to take advantage of the many growth opportunities in the American market to meet the challenges of the energy transition", said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total.

    "Thanks to this transaction, Total is now developing nearly 4 GW of renewable energy capacity in the United States, which contributes to our goal of reaching nearly 35 GW of renewable generation capacity by 2025. In addition, the fact supplying green electricity to all our industrial sites in the United States is concrete proof of our ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. "

INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

    The Bloomberg Institute NEF has just released figures for renewable energy investments in the first half of 2021. A year and a half after the onset of the health crisis, the energy transition has not lost any of its momentum. But despite the mobilization of international capital, the results are mixed. Certain energies are struggling to convince without a subsidy system. However, the urgency to find an energy model is there.

$ 174 billion invested in renewable energy

    Bloomberg NEF numbers fell almost simultaneously with the IPCC report. A coincidence of the calendar which is not really a coincidence. Now that the first half of 2021 has passed, the time has come to take stock. And in this regard, the IPCC report is clear: the climate emergency must lead to a rapid and in-depth overhaul of our energy model. The figures for investments in renewable energies give a disturbing echo to this observation.

    According to Bloomberg NEF, investments in renewable energies increased in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020. This is a record for the period January to June, but the increase remains modest: only + 1.8% . With a total of 174 billion dollars invested worldwide, the energy transition confirms its attractiveness to investors. As a reminder, investments had already increased in 2020.

    Albert Cheung, Bloomberg NEF analyst, notes this progression. “The renewable energy sector has offset the consequences of the pandemic relative to other sectors of the energy economy.” He adds that globally, the world energy market has “shown extreme volatility”.

Which renewable energies capture the most investments in 2021?

    In the first half of 2021, solar energy is demonstrating its dynamism. It captures 54.7 billion investments, an increase of 9% compared to the same period in 2020. Investments are notably driven by the many solar infrastructure projects on the Chinese market. In China, investments in solar reached $ 2.8 billion in the first quarter, and $ 4.9 billion in the second quarter. And in the United States, the new investments wanted by Joe Biden in the United States also come to consolidate the solar sector.

    The same investment momentum does not support all renewable energies. After a good 2020, wind power is not delivering on its promises this year. It only captures $ 58 billion in investments, a staggering 30.5% drop from 2020. What has changed? Subsidies are now more limited. And without this support, wind power struggles to develop. The situation is all the more paradoxical as this is an energy resource whose potential is considered enormous at the global level.

Renewable energies beyond green electricity

    The Bloomberg NEF report highlights that investments are now structured in a more complex way. “Historically renewables have been the main focus, but we are broadening our analysis to include spending on vehicles and electrification for heating, as well as on hydrogen and carbon capture, all of which continue to increase.” Albert Cheung notes that these latest levers “attract only a fraction of the investments they will need in the next few years to help keep CO2 emissions under control”.

Solar Energy : What is perovskite?

    Solar energy is one of the most widely used renewable energy sources around the world. Clean and renewable, solar energy can produce both electricity and heat. However, the performance of the sensors used is essential if we want to take advantage of all this free calorie.

    For years, photovoltaic panels made from silicon have been used. This technology allows a yield of 13 to 21%. But it has quite a few drawbacks, especially from a financial standpoint, which has prompted scientists to look for another more efficient and less expensive alternative. They then discovered a very promising photovoltaic material. This is perovskite. Swiss researchers even say it could revolutionize solar energy production around the world.

All research concerning perovskite

    Researchers seem to be unanimous that perovskite will accelerate the development of solar energy. A priori, it makes it possible to manufacture high performance photovoltaic cells thanks to its great capacity to absorb sunlight. Thus, since 2009, scientists have been working on this extraordinary element. But what is it exactly?

Perovskite discovered by L.A Perovski

    In fact, perovskite is a reddish-brown or black mineral made from titanium and calcium oxide. It was discovered by a Russian mineralogist by the name of Lev Alexeevich Perovsky in 1839, during his expedition to the Ural Mountains. Usually, perovskite develops a crystalline structure. It exists in different varieties. Scientists are mainly interested in hybrid perovskites with organic and mineral compounds.

• The American study

    The first studies launched in 2009 have already shown the potential of perovskite. According to laboratory tests, it can guarantee an energy efficiency of 20%. In other words, it can compete with silicon. Researchers at Stanford University in California, USA, therefore decided to do more research. They introduced perovskite in the manufacture of silicon photovoltaic cells.

    The result of this experiment is remarkable. American researchers have in fact found that the combination of the two materials optimize the energy efficiency of solar modules to 50%. Obviously, these are only prototypes. The rate of solar radiation converted into energy has also increased. What is surprising is that it took 5 years of research to make perovskite so effective. However, with silicon, it took 40 years for the element to reach its current performance.

• The Swiss study

    As part of the European research project, GOTSolar, led by Professor Michael Grätzel, researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Switzerland also carried out work that revealed the same strengths of perovskite. They manufactured solar modules composed of several layers of perovskite, whose function is to collect light. Scientists used gold in the design of the final layer. Then they covered each cell with protective glass. Without question, this is the prototype of the third generation photovoltaic cell.

The advantages of perovskite

    The use of perovskite in the manufacture of photovoltaic panels could generate many benefits. Here are the most important:

• The fall in the price of solar panels

    If perovskite becomes the basic material in the manufacture of solar modules, we can hope for the lower price of solar panels. This will automatically boost the development of solar energy and encourage individuals to engage in self-production and self-consumption of electricity. This decrease in the price of solar panels is explained by the reduction in the cost of the manufacturing process. A priori, it will be divided by five.

• Pervoskite, a material of remarkable solar efficiency

    Another advantage of perovskite is the ability to resist solar radiation, to capture light particles but also to transform them into electricity, which is new for photovoltaic cells. Usually, they are only used to absorb calories from the sun. Professor Sum from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore mentioned that perovskite is a versatile material. This is why it is a promising element for solar energy.

The future of perovskite with solar energy

    Even though research results tend to present perovskite as the photovoltaic material of the future, the end of silicon solar modules has not yet come. The new technology is not there. There are still many points to study. This is the case with the safe use of the mineral. Perovskite cells happen to have a high lead content.

    Research on perovskite is still insufficient. So far, it is a laboratory material, and all of its main strengths and possible drawbacks have not yet been discovered. The establishment of a large-scale experiment is still necessary. Nevertheless, we can say that it is an element with many advantages. It can be used in different fields.

Perovskite photovoltaic material to explore and exploit

    In solar energy production, the performance of perovskite is well known. The technology guarantees high stability and high efficiency. This means that it will be able to contribute to the implementation of a real energy transition in the near future. But at the moment, perovskite-based solar modules are not yet available on the market. The date of their commercialization remains unknown as a lot of research is being carried out. What is certain is that the sun is an unparalleled source of renewable energy. Thus, it is necessary to wait a few more years for the new technology essential for its exploitation to be developed.

• An effective element in the fight against cancer

    It should indeed be emphasized that perovskite is also of interest to health professionals. According to biomedical experts, nanoparticles found in this material may serve as effective therapeutics against certain cases of cancer, including cervical cancer.

• Perovskite, an outstanding raw material in LED production

    The LED sector is also interested in perovskite. It turns out that this material can practically replace semiconductors. This will allow a significant saving in the production of electronic light. However, the quality is still there. The results of the tests carried out are very satisfactory. Researchers in New Jersey have also been working on the subject. Recently, they have succeeded in making perovskite films with a particularly thin thickness. They are also very smooth and particularly stable. They can be used in the manufacture of an LED bulb that embeds a whole lot of quality. Apart from its functionality, there is also its performance and durability.

Perovskites: these crystals will revolutionize solar energy

    Perovskites, a somewhat "barbaric" term derived from the name of a 19th-century Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski, is not yet known to the public. But in labs around the world researchers are feverishly bustling about this family of crystals that promise to revolutionize the conversion of solar energy into electricity.

    Initially, perovskite was a precious stone made out of calcium, titanium and oxygen. In any case, the term is currently used to allude to other synthetic mixtures whose design is indistinguishable. Around ten years prior these materials, then, at that point used to make certain electronic parts, abruptly showed up as expected possibility for supplanting costly silicon cells in sunlight based chargers. The expectation was principally founded on the expense of perovskite cells, essentially lower than those made with silicon precious stones and which right now prepare most photovoltaic establishments. 

   Despite the fact that it is the most bountiful component in the world's outside after oxygen, silicon is without a doubt not usable all things considered in sunlight based cells. It is essentially found in its oxidized structure, silica (SiO2), in sand and different rocks. To decontaminate it, it should be brought to a high temperature (almost 3000 ° C) by a very energy-concentrated and costly cycle which shockingly brings down the carbon impression of the boards. 

    The first perovskite-based cells created by Tsutomu Miyasaka at the University of Tokyo changed over under 4% of the energy of episode light into power, contrasted with 20% for polysilicon cells, and 25% for silicon ones. monocrystalline. In any case, from that point forward the advancement made by groups of analysts all throughout the planet has been astonishing. Currently in 2016, a few research centers had prevailed with regards to expanding the productivity of perovskite cells to over 22%, an effectiveness comparable to that of silicon cells. This advancement made it the quickest developing sunlight based innovation ever.

    The best modest photovoltaic material however productive as silicon seemed to be not yet concocted, nonetheless. As regularly, there was a flip side: Perovskite cells are delicate to warm, stickiness, oxygen and bright radiation. Result: their life expectancy didn't surpass a couple of hours. 

    Researchers then, at that point proceeded with their examination, for instance by keeping an enemy of UV film on the outer layer of cells presented to light and covering the opposite side with insurance against dampness and oxygen. A few groups are gaining ground by stacking a few layers of perovskites or by doping cells with various atoms, for example, copper thiocyanate for instance. Still others envelop sunlight based cells by defensive glass. One of the roads investigated by the European GOTSolar project is the purported pair innovation which consolidates silicon and perovskite. 

    So, it is drawn-out to portray all the examination in progress, yet realize that the outcomes are there: as of late not a little while have passed by without a group gladly declaring that it has advanced towards the update. mark of a photovoltaic innovation dependent on perovkites, a lot less expensive than current silicon cells and whose life expectancy and productivity are same. Hypothetically, the yield of perovskite-based boards could even reach 30%, yet we are not there yet.

Wide range of possibilities and rikiki costs

    Another area of ​​research concerns technologies for manufacturing cells based on perovskites. Scientists are working on the possibility of depositing the materials in thin layers on a flexible PET support (polyethylene terephthalate: this is the plastic used to make bottles containing soft drinks) by a process similar to inkjet printers. The resulting solar module is then almost transparent, very flexible and offers a wide range of possibilities. It could, for example, be integrated into the glazing of buildings or take on complex shapes such as vehicle bodies. Some are even considering making clothes out of it.

    The final question is that of costs and marketing. According to estimates published in the media, the price of solar modules based on perovskites is 4 to 5 times lower than that of current photovoltaic panels.

    As for the technology's appearance on the market, it could well take place again this year, with several companies close to launching industrial production. Thus, the company Saule Technologies, which has been working on perovskites since 2014, recently unveiled the signing of an agreement with the Swedish group Skanska for the distribution of its technology. A first concrete project should be launched in Poland in autumn 2018.

    If all of these hopes and promises come true, we may well be on the cusp of a solar revolution that will definitely spell the end of fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Solar panels: the future is for perovskites, but aren't they toxic?

      Perovskite photovoltaic cells represent a very promising solution for capturing solar energy, but they contain lead, a heavy metal which is toxic to the environment and can seriously damage health. Scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have now found a solution to remedy this drawback.

    "The conversion of solar energy into electricity in perovskite photovoltaic cells is now approaching the performance of the best silicon-based solar modules," explains Professor László Forró of the School of Basic Sciences at EPFL. “But their central element is lead, which is a poison. If the solar panel fails and deteriorates, the lead can be leached into the ground, entering the food chain and causing serious health problems ”.

     In most halide perovskites, lead can break up in water. This dissolvability in water and different solvents is indeed an extraordinary benefit, as it makes the production of perovskite sunlight powered chargers more straightforward and cheap - one more in addition to notwithstanding their exhibition. However, the dissolvability of lead in water can turn into a genuine risk to the climate and to wellbeing when the board breaks or gets wet, for instance in case of downpour. 

      Lead should in this way be caught before it arrives at the ground, and its reusing should be conceivable. This inquiry is the subject of much inside and out research. For specialists and accreditation bodies it is to be sure a significant impediment with regards to endorsing the huge scope assembling of perovskite photovoltaic cells. Nonetheless, endeavors to integrate non-water-insoluble and sans lead perovskites have so far not yielded palatable outcomes.