More efficient solar cell

Indian scientists seem to be advancing well in making more efficient and stable perovskite solar cells — the possible alternatives to silicon-based photo-voltaic cells, whose main problem has been lack of stability when the ability to generate electricity goes down. Dr Easwaramoorthi Ramasamy of the Centre for Solar Energy Materials at the Hyderabad-based International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) says that his team has developed a calcium titanite perovskite cell that is operationally stable for 1,000 hours. His aim is to produce a cell that can generate electricity at site for one year and says it is technically possible to stretch it to five years. Even when made into modules and put under the sun, these cells can convert 20 per cent of sunlight into electricity, he says. Each module can be made, at industrial scale, for as low as 7-8 cents per watt-peak, he adds.

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