The development of solar energy technology has roughly gone through three stages: the first generation of solar cells mainly refers to monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon solar cells, whose photoelectric conversion efficiency in the laboratory has reached 25% and 20.4%, respectively; The second generation solar cells mainly include amorphous silicon thin film batteries and polycrystalline silicon thin film batteries; The third generation solar cells mainly refer to upgraded thin film solar cells, and perovskite is the direction of the fastest mass production of the third generation batteries.
Image source: Baidu Pictures
Currently, with the maturity of crystalline silicon solar cell technology, the bottleneck problem of its photoelectric conversion efficiency is becoming more prominent. In order to further develop the photovoltaic industry and achieve higher conversion efficiency in the future, we can only find ways to break away from the bondage of silicon, and perovskite is the direction of higher conversion efficiency. Because of this, many enterprises in the industry have turned their attention to more potential solar cell technology. As the third generation solar cell technology with great market prospects, perovskite batteries have ushered in opportunities for commercial development, and a new round of technological transformation in the photovoltaic industry may be set off in the next few years.
Perovskite solar cells have significant characteristics such as high efficiency, low cost, and low energy consumption. Relevant data show that the theoretical photoelectric conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells is as high as 33%, significantly higher than traditional monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar cells; With the support of laminated technology, its photoelectric conversion efficiency is expected to exceed 45%.
The key is that in addition to high conversion rates, perovskite batteries have more advantages. According to statistics, the cost of perovskite modules is about 1 yuan/W, which has a significant cost advantage compared to the cost of 1.5-2 yuan/W of mainstream crystalline silicon modules in the current market. Therefore, perovskite battery technology not only has a far higher "ceiling" of photoelectric conversion efficiency than crystalline silicon solar cells, but also can significantly reduce the cost of electricity. It is known as the only emerging photovoltaic technology with commercial application prospects.
In addition, the purity of raw materials for perovskite is lower, and crystalline silicon solar cells require 99.99% purity of silicon. With a purity of about 90% of raw materials for perovskite, solar cells with a conversion efficiency of more than 20% can be made, and 95% purity of perovskite can meet production and usage requirements. Its materials are also readily available and the amount used is also lower than crystalline silicon. During production, there is no need for high temperatures, and the energy consumption per watt is only 1/10 of crystalline silicon.It can almost be said that compared to current crystalline silicon batteries, perovskite batteries have the advantage of rolling compaction.
However, perovskite batteries also have disadvantages. The lifespan of perovskite solar cells is too short. Currently, the service life of crystalline silicon batteries generally exceeds 25 years. However, the current lifespan and efficiency of perovskite batteries have decreased to 80% of the initial value, only 4000 hours, or 166 days. Considering the actual lighting time, that is, a maximum of one or two years, let alone compared to crystalline silicon batteries, if this problem cannot be solved, This longevity directly blocks the possibility of its large-scale commercial use. In addition, as a thin film battery, the efficiency of its large area modules is far lower than that of small areas, which is also another core problem restricting industrialization. In addition, perovskite contains lead, which also has environmental issues. Currently, industry standards are also vacant, which seriously restricts the commercialization process of perovskite batteries.
However, the long-term development trend of the photovoltaic industry is to increase conversion rates and reduce costs. The current limitations of perovskite batteries are expected to be improved through the process in the future. In the long term, the replacement of crystalline silicon batteries is a high probability event, and it is only a matter of time. Based on this, the opportunity for perovskite batteries deserves our focus, and we can respond in advance when the perovskite battery explosion occurs in the future.
