What started as a lockdown project for a Melbourne scientist tinkering in his spare bedroom may one day help develop new solar technology.
Jamie Laird, a research fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science and the University of Melbourne, used aluminium scraps, wires and benchtops from around the house as well as second-hand bits and bobs from eBay to create a laser scanner that can spot previously undetectable defects in solar cells.Luis Enrique Ascui
Research has found perovskite has the potential for higher efficiency than existing solar cells but the presence of light, moisture, heat and air causes it to become unstable. By identifying those problems, Laird hopes his machine can go some way to solving them, allowing scientists to utilise the low-cost material in solar panels.
“This machine is doing things a bit differently compared to other machines,” he said. “This is the ... missing link instrument.” “Laird’s technology is a nice new way to study the materials, which could be helpful in the quest to try and find a more stable perovskite material. The technique doesn’t solve the problem; it’s just another study tool we can use.”The cost of solar cells is only a small fraction of the cost of a solar panel system – which also includes glass, frames, back sheets, rails and electronics.
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