When it comes to perovskite solar cells, one will intuitively think of solar technology produced by the application of calcium and titanium elements, but in fact, there is neither calcium nor titanium in this solar cell. But now there is a company called “Taiwan Perovskite Technology Company” named after perovskite, and the chairman is Chen Laizhu, the former general manager of AU Optronics.
Chen Laizhu said that perovskite solar cells are not only easy to obtain raw materials and have high power generation efficiency, but also the only technology that can generate electricity using indoor light. Taiwan Perovskite Company has mastered the complete technology from equipment, process to materials, and Chen Laizhu will strive to build a completely independent industry in Taiwan. What exactly are perovskite solar cells, considered the third generation of solar technology? The following is the reporter’s interview summary.
Excellent photoelectric efficiency of perovskite
ask:Under what opportunity did you start investing in the new technology of perovskite batteries?
answer:In 2009, Professor Gong Li from Japan accidentally discovered perovskite during an experiment, and the photoelectric efficiency is very high. In fact, many schools are now investing in the development of perovskite technology. In a few years, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of perovskite has increased by leaps and bounds, setting records repeatedly. Now the conversion efficiency has exceeded 20%, and it can reach 33% in terms of physical properties. %.
In 2019, GCL Nano, a mainland solar company, became a shareholder of a start-up company and needed a 2m x 1m vacuum equipment. Qinyou Optoelectronics was hired to make a vacuum coating equipment, and produced 2 square meters of calcium Titanium ore solar panels have truly mass-produced the third generation of solar cells. In the past, Qinyou Optoelectronics sold the equipment and ended it. I saw that perovskite technology is the future, so I decided to establish a company to invest in this technology. The name of the new company is perovskite, which also represents our determination.
Highly capital-intensive industries must develop equipment in order to truly synchronize the process, not just to reduce costs and provide local services. Therefore, in terms of technology development, we use the vacuum and sputtering equipment of Qinyou Optoelectronics, combined with the process development and application technology of Taiwan Perovskite Company, to provide perovskite solar energy equipment integration solutions (turnkey solutions) of various specifications and sizes. At present, Taiwan’s largest perovskite solar cell with an area of about A4 has been successfully manufactured.
Avoid the risk of geopolitical conflict and material shortage
ask:What are the advantages of perovskite solar cells?
answer:Perovskite is not a mineral, but a synthetic organic chemical, such as potassium-based ammonia and iodine, which are very simple materials, and these industrial-grade materials are available everywhere. At present, the mainstream silicon-based solar energy uses silicon as the main raw material. In addition to its technical limitations, 80% of the raw materials come from the mainland. In April last year, the power cut in Sichuan and the shutdown of factories caused the price of polysilicon to drop in just one or two weeks. time increased significantly. In addition, since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, there has also been a shortage of raw materials such as lithium and nickel. In addition to the water and electricity consumption of mining, geographical risk has also become a major consideration in technological development.
As far as the manufacturing process of perovskite is concerned, perovskite is made by coating it into a thin film in the form of a solution, just like brushing paint, which can be applied to objects or surfaces of various shapes, so it will be more widely used. Perovskite is light, bendable, highly malleable, and has a light transmittance that silicon crystals do not have. Therefore, it can generate electricity by absorbing indoor light, which is a unique advantage that other solar technologies do not have.
Absorb indoor light to generate electricity
ask:Applications of perovskite solar cells?
answer:The difficulty encountered in solar energy development in recent years is that there is not enough land. The maximum effective land area in Taiwan is about 25GW. If the power generation efficiency is increased to 30%, the same land area can reach 46GW, which is very important for Taiwan’s energy transformation.
In addition, one of the benefits of perovskite solar energy is transparency. Because of the scarcity of land, installing more solar panels in the future will encounter more struggles. Because perovskite solar energy is transparent, solar energy can be covered on the top, and it can still be planted underneath. Moreover, climate change must be taken into account in future agriculture, and outdoor planting must be replaced by indoor planting. The cost of greenhouses is high. If the roof can generate electricity, there will be income, so the cost of the greenhouse can be reduced, and even the windows can generate electricity.
Another feature of perovskite solar energy is that it can generate electricity indoors. It is roughly estimated that there are 600 million electronic paper shelf labels in Europe. These electronic labels use button batteries, and the battery life is about 3 years. On average, 100 million buttons need to be replaced every year. Battery. The power generation efficiency of perovskite solar energy can reach more than 20% under 300lux, and the illumination of general hypermarkets is above 800lux, so there will be no need to replace batteries in the future. Moreover, there are more and more applications of the Internet of Things, and indoor power generation is self-powered, which can solve the problem of battery pollution.
Thin and bendable to reduce pollution
Perovskite is light, thin and bendable, and it can be used in wearable devices to charge while running outdoors. If the roof of the electric car is equipped with a thin and light perovskite solar panel, it can be charged while driving. And now everyone is talking about net zero carbon emissions. In addition to factories, offices should also achieve zero carbon emissions in 2030. For example, the wall area of the Taipei 101 building is 10,000 times that of the roof area. If perovskite solar energy can be installed on the outer wall of the building to generate electricity, the power generation benefits will be considerable. Based on this idea, the construction industry will be a new energy industry in the future, which can generate electricity, transmit and distribute electricity.
ask:When will perovskite solar technology take off?
answer:Perovskite is a popular material for the third generation of solar energy. Japan is the country where perovskite technology was invented. Many companies are actively investing in the development. The roof of Japan’s new station will be equipped with perovskite solar cells. Currently, Toyota and Honda are all Started research and development of perovskite solar vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy also subsidizes companies to develop perovskite technology, hoping to increase the self-made rate of solar cells. Last year, Google invested in Saule, a Polish start-up company engaged in perovskite solar energy, to enter the new energy industry.
With the investment of major enterprises, it is expected that the perovskite business opportunities will explode in advance, and the perovskite solar industry will start to take off as soon as 2025. However, the competition for perovskite will become more intense, and many Chinese companies are also investing heavily in perovskite. Mining technology is definitely a strong competitor in the future.
A small dictionary of perovskite solar energy
Perovskite solar energy is regarded as the third generation of solar cells. The biggest difference from the previous generation is the introduction of “organic substances” and “nanotechnology” in the manufacturing process. Perovskite is a new type of artificially synthesized solar cell material, which has excellent photoelectric conversion rate, abundant raw materials, low cost, and environmentally friendly production, so it has quickly become a hot research field that has attracted wide attention.
Perovskite solar energy conversion efficiency is high, perovskite single components have reached 25%, and perovskite/silicon stacked cells have reached 30%. Translucent modules can be integrated with buildings, flexible modules can realize curved photovoltaics, and miniaturized modules can be used as power sources for self-powered IoT sensors.
Chen Laizhu’s profile
◎Current Position: Chairman of Taiwan Perovskite Technology, Chairman of Qinyou Optoelectronics, AAMA Entrepreneurial Mentor
◎Birth: 1963
◎Education: EMBA from Thunder Bird College in Arizona, USA, master’s degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University, bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Datong Institute of Technology
◎Experience: General Manager and CEO of AUO from 2007 to 2011, General Manager of AUO Solar Business Group from 2010 to 2012, CEO of Micro Hot Hill from 2013 to 2015, Second-generation University President from 2018 to 2019
further reading
Taiwan Perovskite Chen Laizhu Exclusive Interview “Slash Life at 59 Years Old Entrepreneurship Fearless
Taiwan Perovskite Chen Laizhu Exclusive Interview “Panel Veteran Talks about Transformation: “Be sure to cross-border”
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