SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The objective of this program is to develop low cost, high efficiency lightweight solar cells to provide renewable electrical power to stand‐alone electrical systems and the nation’s power grid. Perovskite solar cells have recently shown significant increases in their power conversion efficiency but suffer from environmental degradation that limits their performance lifetime, manufacturing processes not amenable to rapid large‐scale production, and relatively high cost per watt. We are working with a major research university to address these lifetime, manufacturing and cost issues by developing new and low‐cost perovskite solar cell materials, novel cell architectures and electrospray deposition techniques that allow rapid and large‐scale reel‐to‐reel fabrication. During the Phase I program, we performed materials research to 1) demonstrate new perovskite processing methods that overcome environmental degradation and lead to performance lifetimes approaching one year, and 2) create new simpler two‐layer cells that eliminate the need for expensive hole transport layer materials and reduce cost by ninety percent. The modified perovskite cells can be fabricated completely using electrospray deposition in an open manufacturing environment, significantly decreasing production complexity and increasing throughput. Fabrication process research demonstrated deposition methods that can be transitioned to reel‐to‐ reel production during Phase II. During the Phase II program, we will build on this work to develop and scale‐up the production volumes of the perovskite solar cell materials and use these materials to produce and evaluate the performance of test cells. A commercial‐scale reel‐to‐reel production system will be designed and built with assistance from a manufacturing machinery design company and used to produce interconnected cell arrays. Both indoor laboratory equipment and an outdoor testbed will be used to evaluate power conversion efficiency and long‐term performance stability. There are many commercial market applications for flexible and lightweight, high power conversion efficiency and long‐lifetime perovskite solar cell replacements to bulky, fragile lower efficiency silicon photovoltaic panels, and a significant manufacturing opportunity. The global market for photovoltaics is estimated to grow from $54 billion in 2018 to $334 billion in 2026 with a compound annual growth rate greater than 25%. The most significant commercial applications are in large‐scale renewable energy solar farms to power the nation’s electrical grid, and local industrial and residential arrays. Other uses include powering solar lamps, parking meters, emergency telephones, trash compactors, temporary traffic signs, charging stations, and remote guard posts and signals. They also offer a lower cost option than new electric lines for providing power to remote locations.
