Developing new materials for solar cells towards green growth and low emissions

Renewable energy sources such as solar energy are increasingly becoming a mainstay in solving the energy crisis and reducing carbon emissions. Solar cells, using advanced materials such as silicon, perovskite and two-dimensional materials, are helping to increase energy conversion efficiency...

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Sharing at the seminar on "materials for a sustainable future" taking place on December 4 within the framework of VinFuture Science and Technology Week 2024, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City National University Minh, believes that people are facing many challenges in life related to sustainable development and technological innovation. Science plays an increasingly important role and not only creates the foundation for science and technology, but also finds sustainable solutions in the context of the energy crisis.

Dr. Vu Hai Quan emphasized that the latest research on developing new materials for solar cells is not only a technical challenge but is closely linked to social welfare, environmental protection and economic development.

DEVELOPING NEW MATERIALS FOR SOLAR BATTERIES

According to experts, one of the central issues of the green transition worldwide is the development of green materials and energy. New materials offer the potential to better capture and store renewable energy, capture and reduce carbon emissions in industrial processes, and create a green and circular economy.

Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower are increasingly becoming mainstays in solving the global energy crisis and reducing carbon emissions. In particular, materials for solar cells play a key role. Solar cells, using advanced materials such as silicon, perovskite and two-dimensional materials, are helping to increase the efficiency of converting solar energy into electricity, while also reducing production costs.

According to experts, these advances not only help increase the accessibility of clean energy but also make an important contribution to environmental protection and sustainable development. Research and development of new materials for solar cells and sustainable applications is a core element in expanding the application of renewable energy, thereby directly contributing to the sustainable development goals of the world.

Experts discussed at the seminar.

Professor Richard Henry Friend, Director of Research at the Department of Physics, University of Cambridge - one of the world's most influential physicists, commented that energy is currently being consumed in large quantities, causing many problems. including CO2 emissions. It is estimated that on average, each person emits tons of CO2 each year, causing environmental pollution and climate change.

To solve and overcome this situation, Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend has chosen to focus on renewable energy, new materials and solar batteries. Currently, with the strong development of technology, the price of solar cells is reasonable and is a necessary tool for people to achieve a Net Zero economy.

Sharing about the future direction of silicon in the development of solar energy technology and application technology in solar cell manufacturing, Professor. Martin Andrew Green, founding director of the Center for Advanced Photovoltaics at the University of New South Wales (Australia), commented that the third energy revolution could be a solar revolution, with new materials that can The ability to convert solar energy into electricity with unprecedented high efficiency and low cost.

He acknowledged that in the past decade, solar cell prices have decreased a lot, and panel efficiency has increased from 16% to 21.6%. The size, height, and shape of the panels have also changed, bringing efficiency in connection, cabling, and transportation costs.

In addition, solar cell manufacturing technology has made great strides and is being used such as: TOPCon, HJT, IBC, and PERC. These new technologies not only help increase the efficiency of solar cells but also reduce production costs, facilitating the use of solar energy to become more popular globally. In particular, the price of solar cells has decreased from 1 USD/W in 2009 to about 10 cents/W today, the price of a panel is only about 70 USD...

NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

According to experts, silicon technology will be a sustainable future material, widely used in solar cells, helping to reduce the cost of this material in the past and in the future.

Giving his opinion on integrating materials to improve the efficiency of solar energy development, Professor. Marina Freitag, an energy expert and Royal Society researcher at Newcastle University (UK), believes that we need to push the limits of what materials can do. Silicon materials are reliable and efficient, but by 2050, global energy demand will increase by 40%, raising the issue of sustainability, especially in installed projects, increased efficiency and utilization. land space and materials for solar cell production

Sharing about one of the promising materials, Professor. Marina Freitag points out: Perovskite is a special type of crystal that can be combined with metals such as lead or tin, creating photovoltaic cells capable of converting solar energy into electricity with higher efficiency. much more than traditional silicon.

When combining perovskite with silicon, the amount of silicon needed can be reduced by up to 80%, while enhancing energy conversion capabilities and reducing production costs. This combination creates a big change in self-installation, stable properties when stacked, easier to recycle...

In addition, adding materials will reduce the payback period by 4 months and reduce CO2 emissions by 50%.

According to this expert, developing new materials is not only a technical solution but must also consider sustainability and adaptability to different environmental conditions. Materials like perovskite can last a long time, but need to be ensured not to harm the environment. This opens up an important direction in developing sustainable renewable energy.

Besides new materials for solar batteries, at the forum, Professor. Seth Marder, Director of the Institute for Renewable and Sustainable Energy (University of Colorado Boulder, USA), shared the role of polymers in developing sustainable products.

Professor Seth Marder emphasized that to build a sustainable future, it is necessary to change the way polymers are produced and consumed. There is a need to develop biodegradable polymers that are easily recyclable and can be disassembled and decomposed to return the original materials to the production cycle.

Polymers last a long time because of their stability, so it is necessary to design products that have appropriate functions but can be disassembled and decomposed to return to the original materials. “Therefore, it is necessary to think about material handling right from the design stage, dismantling mechanisms, re-engineering, biomass, and handling the product life cycle right from the beginning. This requires interdisciplinary cooperation."

Polymers that make solar cells are tightly bonded together, so how do they circulate? This expert raises the issue and believes that it is necessary to improve the design process and the most important thing is not technology but changing individual behavior.

At the seminar, scientists also discussed sustainable materials, renewable materials and the role of AI in screening materials to meet initial requirements.

According to Prof. Marina Freitag, AI is accelerating the process of identifying environmentally friendly, high-performance materials. Machine learning models predict material properties and optimize material performance and stability; Reduce time and resources in the R&D process, prioritize the use of sustainable materials.

Experts emphasize the combination of new technologies, development and application of advanced materials in renewable energy as core factors to achieve the goals of green energy, sustainable development, and low emissions. , realizing the NetZero goal.

Source: vneconomy.vn