PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS

Many markets for photovoltaics seek modules with a guaranteed voltage over a wide illumination range. Examples include applications in digital farming where the IoT sensors and communication devices have to be operable in conditions ranging from full sun to deep shade. Other markets include indoor power for consumer electronics to replace primary lithium batteries. The role of solar power in this market is predominantly to charge long life safe secondary batteries. Consequently, the solar modules must maintain charging voltage across a sufficient percentage of the total illumination to meet the power specification. In IoT markets there is a wide range of power requirements, but only a few voltage specifications. The power requirement for each application may be limited, and the price of the bespoke solar modules needs to be competitive with the alternative battery power.

Until recently it was not possible to specify a solar module with low voltage variability across the light harvesting spectrum. Now, with PSC formulated and designed for broad light intensity spectrum, many IoT and related power specifications can be met. The proprietary solution envisaged by Greatcell Energy is elegantly simple. There are just a few basic module sizes to serve the most common charging voltage demands, 3V, 6V and 12V (other voltages can be achieved for large volume demands).

The basic 3V module, for example, can be supplied in a rigid or ultra-light weight flexible format and has an active area of 12 sqcm. To meet the charging power levels of any bespoke application, a number of the standard voltage modules can be connected in parallel on a basic or flexible Greatcell Energy printed circuit board. The option for series/parallel connection for higher voltage applications is managed by the conductor grid on the PCB.