Scientists have improved solar panels by making them spicier

josh jackman
Written By
Published on 22 January 2021

Scientists have made solar panels more efficient – by increasing their spice level.

Researchers from China and Sweden have treated perovskite solar cells with capsaicin, the component in chili peppers that makes your mouth burn.

Over the past decade, thin perovskite cells have continually pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, reaching a record-breaking 29.15% efficiency in January 2020 – but some energy has always been lost to heat.

By raising a cell’s spice rating from plain to hot, scientists freed up electrons that were able retain more of this energy, resulting in a 15% increase in efficiency.

solar panels under a blue sky

The capsaicin-treated cell also reportedly held onto more than 90% of its efficiency level throughout 800 hours of storage in ambient conditions – making it significantly more stable than another, non-spicy cell.

The authors of the study have said the discovery “provides a huge potential for further improvement of perovskite cell performance.”

Dr Qinye Bao of East China Normal University said that using capsaicin to fulfil this function also had the advantage of being environmentally conscientious.

“It is our priority to select sustainable forest-based biomaterials,” he told New Scientist. “Capsaicin is low-cost, natural, sustainable and Earth-abundant.”

Bao, who worked on the project with his ex-colleagues from Linköping University, added: “Our long-term vision is to yield a fully green perovskite technology with the application for state-of-the-art devices.”

Perovskite solar cells are not only the most efficient solar panels; they’re also much thinner – and therefore much cheaper – than silicon cells.

Solar power is an important part of moving humanity towards the renewable future that’s necessary to reduce the effects of climate change.

If solar energy is going to power 50% of the world, the CO2 saved in producing perovskite-silicon tandem cells instead of just silicon models becomes sizable.

In total, the world would save 475 million tonnes of CO2 – which is 40 million tonnes more than the UK emitted in 2019.

Written by

josh jackman

Josh has written about and reported on eco-friendly home improvements and climate change for the past four years.

His data-driven work has featured on the front page of the Financial Times and in publications including The Independent, Telegraph, Times, Sun, Daily Express, and Fox News, earned him the position of resident expert in BT's smart home tech initiative, and been referenced in official United Nations and World Health Organisation documents.

He’s also been interviewed on BBC One's Rip-Off Britain, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 5 Live as an expert on everything from renewable energy to government policy and space travel's carbon footprint, and regularly attends Grand Designs Live as a Green Living Expert, giving bespoke advice to members of the public about heat pumps and solar panels.

Josh has also used the journalistic skills he developed at The Jewish Chronicle and PinkNews to investigate and analyse every green government grant in existence, and examine the impact on the climate of cryptocurrency, Glastonbury Festival, and the World Cup.

You can get in touch with Josh via email.

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