> Conventional solar cells are often made of silicon dioxide, which is used in amorphous or crystalline form. It takes a lot of know-how and money to produce it, and the yield of light energy conversion in commercial products is less than 25% [1]. Therefore, solar cells are also made from other elements. Among the most prominent representatives here are GaAs (gallium arsenide), CdTe (cadmium tellurium) and CIGS (copper indium gallium selenium) solar cells. These elements are controversial, as some are e.g. toxic, only difficult to obtain from socially / ethically acceptable sources and usually very expensive.
Therefore, sustainable alternatives are being sought: perovskite solar cells could be cheaper to produce and the starting materials easier to obtain. However, they also contain toxic elements (status 2022). Intensive research is therefore being conducted into less toxic perovskite solar cells. Good luminous efficiencies have already been achieved in the laboratory, and in particular the possibility of building semi-transparent cells could lead to very high yields in light energy conversion if perovskite and conventional solar cells are arranged one above the other (tandem solar cell or multi-junction solar cell).
Further infomation
- US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) – Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart