IN WHAT IS seen as a significant breakthrough in photo voltaic vitality know-how, researchers at IIT Bombay have developed a excessive effectivity tandem photo voltaic cell with energy conversion effectivity of roughly 30 per cent in contrast with round 20 per cent now.
That is anticipated to result in a 25–30 per cent increase in effectivity over typical photo voltaic know-how and doubtlessly scale back price of solar energy at round `1 per kwh in contrast with ` 2.5-4 per unit now.
The Maharashtra authorities and ART-PV India Pvt Ltd, a start-up based at IIT Bombay’s Society for Improvements and Entrepreneurship (SINE), are working to supply an entire business wafer measurement answer for this know-how by December 2027.
Praveen Pardeshi, Chief Financial Advisor to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, stated they’ve requested Mahagenco, a state-owned energy producing firm to discover commercialisation avenues. “It’s going to assist considerably scale back India’s dependence on uncooked materials imports from China,” he advised The Indian Specific.
The IIT researchers on the institute’s Nationwide Centre for Photovoltaic Analysis & Schooling (NCPRE) led by Prof. Dinesh Kabra have efficiently engineered a semi-transparent perovskite photo voltaic cell (PSC) which is layered over a conventional silicon-based photo voltaic cell, forming a 4-terminal (4T) tandem construction.
The underside sub-cell makes use of well-established silicon know-how, whereas the highest sub-cell options an indigenously developed halide perovskite semiconductor, enabling excessive mild absorption and environment friendly vitality conversion. “Halide perovskite is among the many best light-absorbing supplies recognized right this moment. Other than being extremely environment friendly in changing mild into electrical energy, it’s reasonably priced as digital grade perovskite semiconductors might be produced domestically with obtainable chemical assets,” defined Prof. Kabra defined.
“Perovskite has lengthy proven promise, however its quick lifespan was a significant limitation. IIT Bombay’s work extends that life to as much as ten years, which is a game-changer. Extra importantly, versus the present maintain of China on required uncooked supplies for a similar, perovskite shouldn’t be topic to geopolitical provide constraints. We’ve requested MAHAGENCO to discover commercialization avenues for this know-how,” Pardeshi stated.
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Regardless of this spectacular potential together with low manufacturing, perovskite supplies have confronted challenges in long-term stability, notably when uncovered to warmth, mild, and extended electrical stress. Conventional silicon cells usually final 20–25 years, whereas perovskite cells have been recognized to degrade a lot sooner. To handle this, the IIT Bombay staff devised a novel 4-terminal tandem configuration – two for every layer within the tandem machine – permitting each layers to function independently and effectively underneath completely different circumstances.
“Our steady 4T silicon/perovskite tandem machine maintains its efficiency even underneath warmth and low-light environments, providing not simply greater effectivity but in addition improved sturdiness,” Prof Kabra stated.
He stated this breakthrough is very important for India, which has excessive inhabitants density and restricted land assets. “With our indigenous answer, we will generate extra energy from fewer photo voltaic panels, permitting higher land utilization and decreasing the general price of photo voltaic electrical energy. This know-how has functions past photo voltaic farms—together with rooftops, vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV), and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV),” Prof Kabra stated.
IIT Bombay can be working with the Authorities of Maharashtra on an initiative to develop clear vitality options, focusing notably on inexperienced hydrogen manufacturing. This challenge, to be primarily based in Uran, goals to harness cutting-edge photo voltaic know-how for sustainable inexperienced hydrogen era. Prof. Kabra emphasised the necessity for photo voltaic cells with excessive open-circuit voltage to effectively produce inexperienced hydrogen. “Whereas there are compound semiconductors that are in a position to meet necessities, they’re expensive and depending on important uncooked supplies largely managed by China. Perovskite-based tandem cells have the potential to ship solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies corresponding to compound semiconductors—at a fraction of the associated fee and with supplies extra accessible to India,” he stated declaring that as this know-how matures, it may grow to be superior in efficiency.
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Whereas Maharashtra authorities is exploring commercialisation avenues, a start-up ART-PV India Pvt. Ltd. which was based at IIT Bombay’s Society for Improvements and Entrepreneurship (SINE); is already working to supply an entire business wafer measurement answer for this know-how by December 2027. Prof. Kabra, who can be heading the corporate, stated, “It will likely be finished utilizing indigenous tools options.”
Prof. Kabra famous that ART-PV India has a Maharashtra primarily based tools manufacturing accomplice, who makes a speciality of making excessive thin-film deposition instruments.