New light-absorbing materials by Oxford scientists could turn everyday objects into solar panels

Scientists at Oxford University may have solved one of the biggest obstacles to expanding access to solar energy. Scientists from the university’s physics department have created a very thin layer of material that can be used outside of sunlight to replace large silicon-based solar panels.

The ultra-thin and flexible film is made by stacking light-absorbing perovskite layers just over one micron thick. The new material is also 150 times thinner than a conventional silicon wafer and can produce 5 percent more energy than conventional, single-layer silicon photovoltaics, according to a statement released by Oxford University.

Dr. Shauifeng Hu, a postdoctoral fellow in Oxford’s physics department, says he believes “this method can make photovoltaic devices very efficient, exceeding 45 percent.”

This new form of solar energy technology can also reduce the cost of solar energy. Because of their durability and flexibility, they can be used in almost any environment. This reduces construction and installation costs and can increase the number of solar farms that produce sustainable energy.

This technology, however, is still in the research phase and the university does not comment on the long-term stability of the newly designed perovskite panels. Going from 6 to 27 percent solar energy efficiency in five years is an impressive feat but sustainability has been limited compared to photovoltaic technology, according to the US Department of Energy. A 2016 study in the journal Science Solar Energy Materials and Solar cells and noted that perovskite can provide “efficient, cost-effective power generation” but also has “poor stability” due to its sensitivity to moisture.

Solar energy has also become a cheaper energy option over the past decade. The cost of solar photovoltaic technology has fallen by 90 percent in the past 10 years, according to the Global Change Data Lab.

New solar farms are popping up all over the world. The US Department of Energy earlier this month announced the conversion of 8,000 hectares of land that once housed parts of the nuclear weapons program known as the Manhattan Project into a solar farm. Last month, Google invested in a Taiwanese solar company to build a 1 gigawatt pipeline in the region.