A new way has been discovered by the scientist of The University of Manchester, to accelerate the total expenditure of solar technology. Perovskite cells that are the main component of the solar panel contain lead, which is a cumulative toxin that may harm the environment. However, if the cells get damaged the lead ions present inside them may leak. To curb this problem, Professor Brian Saunders and Dr. David Lewis have derived a unique way to stop the leaking of lead from cells. They have created a ‘fail-safe’ system to captures the lead ions in an organic matric, for this they used a component called hydroxyapatite, which is a major component of human bone.
Through this way, the toxins of cells can be stored in an inert mineral, rather than escaping out in the environment. According to The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded project, the addition of hydroxyapatite would increase the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by around 21%. The efficiency of the cells without hydroxyapatite has around 18%. The Increased efficiency in panels will generate more power at a low cost and will bring forward the large scale of applications of perovskite solar cell technology. Up until now the lead component in solar cells has the potential to harm the environment and this can be treated as a matter of concern. Through increasing the inherent safety of perovskite solar cells by this ‘fail-safe’ system, the deployment of solar technology will be increased and would be able to strive the achievement of net-zero CO2 emission.
The research team has jumped on this invention as they were devoted to eliminating an environmental risk. According to the commitment given by DR David Lewis, Deputy Head of Department “Through this research, we will be able to increase both the sustainability and the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, we hope these outcomes will increase the viability for homes and business, across the world, to host and use solar technology”
