Hello there, let me introduce myself. My name is Sean Brunton and I'm technician here at BigWinUPS. If you have read what is on our website, you may realize that I am the managing director's son, and a proud co-founder of this company. However I'm not here to personally introduce myself, but rather here to talk about some up and coming technologies we can expect to see entering the marketplace in some time to come in the future.
As you may know South Africa has a huge solar energy market, with imports of solar panels, reaching the R20 billion mark. This will only continue to grow, as more and more South Africans, are wanting to be less reliant on the electrical grid. While this may be very true here, it is also the case in many other countries in the world, as we all try line up to the plan to decarbonize our energy systems.
While photovoltaics has been around for many years, only now is it really being implemented in the field, where, where you can imagine problems have arised in the operational functionality and structurual integrity of solar panels. Having said this, this is what drives innovation, and henceforth let's start with one PV innovation making the ranks, called PSC or Perovskite solar cell technology.
PSC is a new generation of solar cells that have shown great potential due to their high efficiency and lower production costs compared to traditional silicon solar cells. Perovskites can be used to create thin-film solar panels that are lightweight and flexible, opening up new applications such as integration into windows or curved surfaces. While this may be all good and well, but what advantages does PSC have?
PSC has a much higher effiency level rate than silicon based solar cells and can convert sunlight into electricity sometimes far faster. PSC's are also much easier to install and less labour intensive, which can cut the costs of an installation. They are easier to manufacture and some say we may even be able to print them on a 3D printer!
It worthy to note, that while this may sound exciting it is a new technology, but it doesn't hide its advantages to us, the professionals who install a solar plant for you. PSC "sheets" can be bent, wrapped around something and be pasted down with glue. It also can be made to be transparent, and we can make your windows into solar panels! This is what we mean when we talk about being "aesthically pleasing". As we understand that while solar technology is "green" energy, it doesn't come without it disrupting mother nature. We are aware of this, and strive to harmonize the technology with nature, instead of shunning what's clearly a better alternative to provide yourself with you're own electricity. Electricity will always have a byproduct affecting the nature around us. Always.
What is also rather interesting about PSC's is the modulation of its photovoltaic properties. PSC's can be customly "doped" and customized to suit enviromental environments of the electric environment of the solar power plant! (I hope you enjoyed my recursive play on words). Which is what the higher rate of efficiency does for the power conversion. So what does that mean? Well it means we can achieve solar power conversion with less light from the sun.
This innovative approach to enhancing the efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) through customization and doping techniques not only highlights the adaptability of these materials but also ushers in a new era in solar energy, power conversion and how we think of electricity generation, transmission and distribution. By optimizing PSCs to perform under various environmental conditions with less sunlight, we are stepping closer to a sustainable and energy-efficient future. This mathematical precision in engineering and chemistry brings us full circle, from the theoretical drawing boards to the practical implementation of the application, demonstrating that in the realm of solar energy? The sum of all efforts equals progress towards a brighter, cleaner world.
NB - Please be aware that Perovskite Solar Cell Technology is not yet commerially available to the South African market.
Thank you for reading my blog post and for allowing me to introduce myself indirectly to you. Next week I would like to tell you about graphene-based 'supercapacitor' battery technology. Very exciting, futuristic stuff! Until then, I hope you have a good and blessed week ahead.
Sean Brunton (Technical Manager & co-founder)
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