Japan is betting everything on perovskite solar panels. And Canon has the key to doubling its lifespan

The world is surrendering to solar energy. So much so that seven Chinese solar companies already generate more capacity than oil companies, California is a bastion and Texas, the oil monster, has opened the doors wide to solar energy. Currently the ball is in the court of the search for efficiency, but from Japan comes something that will help keep those solar panels in good condition for longer.

Specifically, a material to double the lifespan of flexible solar cells.

EnduranceOne of the industry’s goals is to improve the resistance of photovoltaic cells in order to create more versatile and long-lasting panels than the current ones. This is where perovskite comes into play, cells invented by the Japanese scientist Tsutomu Miyasaka that are not only more efficient in converting sunlight/electricity, but are also cheap and degrade less and less.

In this quest for strength, the industry is looking favorably at diamond, but perovskite panels should not be written off before their time thanks to one of Canon’s latest developments.

Doubling the useful lifeAs we read in Nikkei, Canon has come up with a protective material with the ability to double the lifespan of perovskite solar cells. This material will be used to protect the layer that deteriorates when exposed to humidity and heat, extending the lifespan of perovskite cells to between 20 and 30 years.

This is a protective layer that covers the cells and is between 100 and 200 nanometers thick. It is extremely thin and its application would allow for reduced plate maintenance, which leads to lower costs and greater safety when adopting perovskite plate technology. This does not affect efficiency, as Canon claims that its new material has the properties of a semiconductor.

Flexible panels. With different metals, the efficiency of perovskites can be boosted, but if there is one thing that makes this technology interesting, it is because it can create panels that can be placed in places where traditional panels do not have a space. It makes it easier to install them in bus shelters, vehicles and other places where rigid solar panels cannot be placed due to size or because they would be inefficient.

Regaining momentum. It is also a Japanese product, and that is where the government’s plan to promote this technology against Chinese panels, to which it has lost ground in recent years, comes into play. The Chinese solar industry dominates more than 80% of the supply chain and this is something that has driven down prices, but with perovskite panels, Japan has seen an opportunity.

This is why they have created a consortium of 150 companies, public and private organisations to accelerate the introduction of these flexible solar panels. To do so, the government will invest more than 400 million euros and will draw up a roadmap for 2040.

Efficiency. The capacity of perovskite solar cells is estimated to reach 38.3 GW by 2024, with projections of 84.2 GW by 2050, surpassing the current 70 GW capacity of conventional panels. And along with improving resistance, as we said, there is the other great battle of solar panels.

The aim is to make the panels more versatile, but also to break down the current conversion barriers thanks to systems to push extreme quantum efficiency. Structures such as diamond or perovskite panels may be key in the new generation, but China is not standing idly by and, in fact, the solar company Aiko will launch this year the most efficient in the world thanks to its N-type cells.

What is clear is that the battle is on and, if everything goes as it has in recent months, the more companies in the fight, the better for consumers. And returning to Canon’s protective layer, the company intends to send samples to companies that manufacture perovskite panels this summer with an eye toward starting mass production by 2025.

Image | Canon, Sekisiu Chemical

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