Professor Anita Ho-Baillie of the University of Sydney has received $7.25 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to advance next-generation solar technology.
Her team will work with Australian manufacturer Unison Solar Energy on silicon-perovskite tandem cells. The design stacks two kinds of solar material so the panel can use a broader range of sunlight.
The group has already produced tandem cells with an independently confirmed efficiency of 30 percent on both small and large areas. The new five-year project will test how well the cells withstand ultraviolet light and mechanical stress.
The goal is to make the technology stable enough for commercial solar panels. If the cells can keep their performance over a panel’s working life, they could help clean electricity go further.
