Unlocking the Potential of Bifacial Perovskite Solar Cells

Key Highlights :

1. A bifacial solar cell has the potential to produce higher energy yields at lower overall costs.

2. The dual nature of a bifacial solar cell enables the capture of direct sunlight on the front and the capture of reflected sunlight on the back, allowing this type of device to outperform its monofacial counterparts.

3. The perovskite layer on the front of the cell had to be sufficiently thick to absorb most of the photons from a certain part of the solar spectrum, but a perovskite layer that is too thick can block the photons.

4. On the back of the cell, the NREL team had to determine the ideal thickness of the rear electrode to minimize resistive loss.

     The potential of bifacial perovskite solar cells to produce higher energy yields at lower costs has been identified by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This type of solar cell is unique in that it allows sunlight to reach both sides of the device, making it a promising alternative to traditional monofacial cells.

     A bifacial solar cell is able to capture direct sunlight on the front and reflected sunlight on the back, enabling it to outperform monofacial cells. Scientists at NREL have recently been able to develop a perovskite cell with a lab-measured efficiency of over 23% on the front illumination and 91-93% efficiency on the back illumination.

     Before constructing the cell, the researchers used optical and electrical simulations to determine the necessary thickness of the perovskite layer on the front and the rear electrode on the back. This allowed them to find the ideal thickness for the cell, which was determined to be around 850 nanometers.

     The efficiency of the bifacial cell was then tested by placing it between two solar simulators and increasing the ratio of reflected light to the front illumination. The results showed that the cell was able to generate 10-20% more power than monofacial cells.

     While the cost of manufacturing a bifacial module may be higher than a monofacial module, the long-term benefits could make it a more attractive financial investment. The research conducted by NREL demonstrates the potential of bifacial perovskite solar cells and the importance of further development in this field.

Continue Reading at Source : phys