Solar panels have been part of the urban landscape for years, crowning the rooftops of buildings. But what if photovoltaic generation could also extend to facades, windows, or other surfaces, multiplying capture capacity and, with it, the amount of energy produced? Nanotechnology could make it possible.
In this technology, photovoltaic solar energy has found an ally to improve its efficiency and expand its applications. Perovskite Solar cells (PSC), whose success lies in the ability of nanotechnology to maximize their performance- are achieving figures higher than the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of conventional panels made of silicon.
A recent international research project led by IMDEA Nanociencia has developed a perovskite cell with a certified efficiency of 25.2%, which uses new materials that improve its durability and bring it closer to market readiness. These types of cells use very thin layers and can be flexible, semi-transparent, and lightweight, so they can be applied to almost any surface, unlike what happens with conventional technologies. Their versatility, made possible by the control of matter on a nanometric scale, opens up new horizons for the development of innovative applications and ways of integrating solar energy.
Print the new generation of solar cells
Researcher Mónica Lira-Cantú leads a study group at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) that works on developing highly stable solar cells adaptable to different applications. "We make very controlled materials on a nanometric scale in the form of ink" in a process which, according to the researcher's explanation to Planet Energy, involves placing the materials in solutions to obtain a “new generation of solar cells using printers or other methods.”
This would allow the integration of photovoltaic technology into previously unthinkable surfaces, such as fabrics, plastics that can be easily rolled up, or flexible substrates, among other materials. "Imagine in the future a swimsuit with photovoltaic cells that you can use to charge your phone directly," the expert ventures.
This versatility could open up new options that, in the opinion of Lira-Cantú, range from military or sports applications, with solutions that can be deployed over tents, integrated into boat sails or vehicle bodies, to more everyday applications in our daily lives.
Facades that produce energy
The potential is broad, but one of the fields that could most benefit from this evolution is architecture. Recently, the German institute Fraunhofer FEP developed "visually indistinguishable" photovoltaic modules from the facades of the buildings, capable of maintaining up to 80% of performance.
To achieve this, researchers have employed a technique called "roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography," which allows the integration of solar modules into facades without altering the design, thanks to nanotechnology. It is not just about integrating panels, but transforming any architectural surface into another element to generate energy.
In parallel, a recent study by the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) designed a "nano-structured mirror" that improves the efficiency of ultra-thin solar cells and mitigates energy losses. A progress that, according to its researchers, brings closer the "creation of lightweight and flexible solar cells" with the "efficiency necessary" for real applications.
It is innovative, not only for its design, but also the technique with which it is manufactured: nanoimprint lithography in a single step reduces costs and simplifies the process, which, in the words of the principal researcher of the INL team, Pedro Salomé, marks the beginning of the path to "industrial-scale production."