Energy experts are pulling power from astounding places with record-setting results. Researchers at the University College London have developed solar cells that can capture electricity from indoor light with a production process that calls to mind a printing press.
That means that keyboards, remote controls, alarms, and sensors could soon operate without a battery, according to a UCL news release.
The breakthrough’s secret is perovskite, an emerging mineral family being developed for outdoor solar cell arrays thanks to high performance and low production costs. But the nearly 30% efficiency rate — the amount of sunlight turned into energy — comes with only a 30-month lifespan. While silicon cells typically have a high-end rate of 24%-25%, they last for 30 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and Solar Magazine.
UCL’s team can adjust the perovskite to capture indoor light wavelengths. Importantly, they have developed a chemical combination that limits performance degradation and promotes electricity flow inside the cell, according to the release.
“Solar cells capturing energy from indoor light are expensive and inefficient. Our specially engineered perovskite indoor solar cells can harvest much more energy than commercial cells,” Associate Professor Mojtaba Abdi Jalebi, the study’s senior author, said.
The chemical solution encourages perovskite crystal growth “with minimal strains.” This reduces “traps” that impaired charge flow, according to the experts.
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The prototype was amazingly able to convert 37.6% of indoor light into electricity, a record for this type of ambient conversion. The test device maintained 92% of its ability after 100 days of operation. It also performed well after rigorous 300-hour continuous use at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, the report continued.
The most fascinating part of the innovation might be its production method.
“They use materials that are abundant on Earth and require only simple processing. They can be printed in the same way as a newspaper,” Abdi Jalebi said in the release.
Other inventions of a similar nature include stretchable solar cells being developed in Japan that could power wearable tech. California’s Ambient Photonics is also working on cells that can tap ambient and low-level light to power indoor devices.
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The UCL team sees its indoor lightcatchers as an improvement over other, similar tech. The experts are working to secure partners to help commercialize the innovation, according to the release.
“It paves the way for electronics powered by the ambient light already present in our lives,” Abdi Jalebi said.
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