Researchers at Princeton University have developed the first commercially viable calcium titanite solar cells, marking an important milestone for an emerging renewable energy technology, according to the latest issue of the journal Science. The team expects their device to operate for about 30 years in excess of industry standards, far exceeding the 20-year lifetime threshold for solar cells.

Not only is the device durable, it also meets common energy efficiency standards. It is the first cell of its kind to rival the performance of silicon-based cells.

Chalcogenides are semiconductors with a special crystal structure that is ideally suited for use in solar cell technology. They can be manufactured at room temperature and use much less energy than silicon, making them cheaper and more sustainable to produce.

Earlier calcium-titanium-based solar cells (PSCs) were introduced between 2009-2012 and lasted only a few minutes. the record in 2017 was a year of cell operation under continuous illumination at room temperature, while the new device can operate for five years under similar laboratory conditions. The record-breaking design highlights the durability potential of PSCs, especially as a way to push solar cell technology beyond the limits of silicon, the researchers said.

This time, the researchers layered different materials to optimize light absorption while protecting the most vulnerable regions from irradiation. They developed an ultra-thin "two-dimensional overlay" between two key components: an absorbing chalcogenide layer and a charging layer made of copper salts and other substances. The goal was to prevent the chalcogenide semiconductor from burning up in a matter of weeks or months.

The researchers also made dozens of permutations of these designs, changing tiny details in the geometry and the number of overlay layers, and trying dozens of material combinations. Experimental results show that the new device can perform at an average temperature of about 35 ℃ and continuous lighting for at least five years, more than 80% of the peak efficiency.

In the long run, the researchers said, calcium titanium ore can be manufactured at room temperature, and its manufacture can avoid burning large amounts of fossil fuels. But the development of the new technology does not mean that PSC will largely replace silicon devices, but rather complement the old technology, thus making solar panels cheaper, more efficient and more durable, and expanding solar energy into more new areas of modern life.

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