The first perovskite solar cells capable of operating for 30 years without replacement have been tested in the USA

Perovskite is an extremely promising mineral for the construction of solar panels.
However, the main problem with such products is their short lifespan.
Researchers at Princeton University in the U.S.
finally tested in the laboratory sample, capable of working without replacement up to 30 years in real conditions.Image source: Andlinger Center for Energy and the EnvironmentAlthough the main material for solar panels for decades has been silicon, in the last 15 years perovskite actively wrests its position.
Perovskite is just as effective as silicon, but it allows you to create less expensive, lighter and more flexible panels.
Nevertheless, perovskites are not very stable and rather short-lived in real-world applications.In the new study, Princeton scientists added a special intermediate layer, literally a few atoms thick, between the light-absorbing perovskite and charge-bearing layers to stabilize the design.
Although similar solutions have been proposed by various teams in the past, the new composition potentially keeps the solar cells alive for more than 30 years - the first solution in its class to cross the 20-year threshold.Image source: Andlinger Center for Energy and the EnvironmentWe are still only talking about experiments, however.
The researchers used an artificial aging chamber to evaluate the \"vitality\" of the panels, in which the elements were exposed to sunlight and temperatures ranging from 35 ° C to 110 ° C.
Extrapolating from the data obtained, the team concluded that under standard climatic conditions the new solution is capable of working for 30 years.
According to the scientists, the artificial aging chamber used will make it possible to test the stability of not only perovskite cells, but also any other solar cells.

Scientists have created solar cells with a record efficiency of 39.5% - they are multi-layered and have \"quantum wells\"

Researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reported creating innovative solar cells with a record efficiency of almost 40% in normal light.
By comparison, the efficiency of conventional photovoltaic cells ranges from 15% to 30%.Image source: NRELIt is noteworthy that the 39.5% figure is achieved in lighting that is generally equivalent to natural sunlight.
This clarification is important because during the experiments, scientists often manage to achieve efficiencies up to 47%, but only under \"concentrated\" light, which does not correspond to the natural conditions of the Earth.To achieve this result was achieved thanks to a special design of the elements known as an inverted metamorphic compound (IMM).
It involves the use of three layers of solar cells, each of which is made of a different type of material.
Specifically, we are talking about the top layer of indium-gallium phosphide, the middle layer of gallium arsenide, and the bottom layer of indium-gallium arsenide.
Each layer captures light at different wavelengths, allowing more energy to be produced using a significant portion of the solar spectrum.In addition, the panels use so-called \"quantum wells,\" which limit the movement of electrons to two dimensions instead of three.
It is claimed that the layer with such pits also allows capturing more light and leads to greater energy output.The previous efficiency record for solar panels was set by the same team, achieving a figure of 39.2 percent in 2020 - we are talking about the struggle for every fraction of a percent.
Tests have already been conducted to demonstrate how the new cells behave in space.
In this case, the efficiency was 34.2 percent.
Scientific breakthroughs can be extremely important for solar cell technology.
Nevertheless, the developers emphasize that the production of this type of cells is quite expensive and mass production is not planned yet, there is still a lot of work to be done to reduce the cost of cells.