BYD and CTI Renato Archer will develop higher efficiency solar cells

The manufacturer BYD Brazil and the CTI (Information Technology Center) Renato Archer have entered into a partnership to develop innovative solar cells that, based on the double junction between individual crystalline silicon cells and perovskite materials, will result in a product that makes better use of the solar spectrum in converting light into electrical energy. 

“Perovskite is one of the most promising synthetic semiconductor materials for solar energy generation. The development of this technology, added to crystalline silicon, will be fundamental for us to make a leap in the efficiency of photovoltaic cells and, consequently, make photovoltaic generation even more sustainable”, said Murilo Bonetto. R&D manager at BYD. 

The CTI researcher responsible for the project, Fernando Ely, explains that each solar cell in the photovoltaic panel will be configured in a stacked multi-layer system, also known as tandem. In the proposed structure, the upper perovskite cell will be optimized to collect higher energy photons, while the subsequent silicon cell will collect lower energy photons in the spectral range where it has maximum efficiency. 

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“We took advantage of the different light absorption characteristics of each of these materials to generate a more efficient cell”, highlights Ely. “Preliminary studies have shown that, based on this cell configuration, it is possible to reach practical final photoconversion efficiency rates higher than 30%, with an adequate combination of perovskite and silicon sub-cells”, he highlighted.

The researcher also stated that the production of these solar cells is considered low cost as they use perovskite, a material that requires less expensive handling processes. “The upper subcell’s perovskite film is produced from chemical solutions manipulated at relatively low temperatures,” he said. 

Another advantage is that the manufacturing of the perovskite sub-cell can be made using any silicon cell architecture, which “also reduces the cost, as it uses commercially available cells”, explained the researcher.

BYD has a factory installed in the city of Campinas (SP), where CTI Renato Archer is also located. Cooperation between the entities was symbolically signed with a visit by the director of the CTI and the team from the Open Photovoltaic Energy Laboratory to BYD's facilities.

“The partnership between BYD and CTI is an important initiative that will accelerate the process of technological development in the photovoltaic area and also allow more people to have access to renewable energy sources. We are happy with this partnership”, comments Jorge Silva, director of CTI Renato Archer.