Scientists develop first lead-free perovskite luminescent solar concentrator

Scientists develop first lead-free perovskite luminescent solar concentrator

The first transparent luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) based on lead-free perovskite nanocrystals was developed by scientists from the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN) and VSB – Technical University of Ostrava in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, Germany, and Brno University of Technology. This unique solution overcomes the disadvantages of existing perovskite solar energy devices, namely the presence of lead and their low stability.

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are devices capable of absorbing sunlight and concentrating it at their edges, where it is subsequently converted into electrical energy by means of a built-in solar cell. “The main idea behind the whole LSCs concept is energy self-sufficient buildings, which have generally large glass areas that can efficiently be used to generate electricity. Thanks to the highly luminescent and colloidally stable perovskite nanocrystals developed in our Photoelectrochemistry group in CATRIN, we were able to construct a sufficiently transparent solar concentrator that resembles an ordinary window,” explained the study’s correspondent author Štěpán Kment, who works at both CATRIN and VSB – Technical University of Ostrava. The article discussing the teams findings was published by the Journal of the American Chemical Society—ACS Applied Energy Materials.

Another major advantage of the new LSC is the absence of lead, which is still usually used in this type of perovskite nanocrystal and brings significant environmental and health complications. Researchers have achieved very promising efficiencies and good photostability with this new type of LSC. This work was possible thanks to excellent domestic and international cooperation between the different research institutes.

 “Luminescent solar concentrators are a major step to creating a sustainable and renewable network of photovoltaic power plants embedded in the glass-walled areas of urban buildings. This could contribute to increasing the use of solar energy without unnecessary interference with the landscape,” says another of the authors Michal Otyepka from CATRIN and IT4Innovations at VSB - Technical University of Ostrava.

 Author: Martina Šaradínová

Illustration: Martin Pykal, CATRIN