IIT Bombay Makes Significant Breakthrough in Solar Technology

The solar industry is expanding not only in India but globally, and the Maharashtra government is working to turn into reality a project from IIT Bombay (IITB) that has succeeded in enhancing the efficiency of solar cells to 30% by incorporating perovskite onto conventional silicon solar cells.

IITB mentions that it has the capability to rise by as much as 45%. The Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), the think tank of the Maharashtra government, is strongly advocating for the initiative as it perceives it to be a disruptive and technology-driven framework that might  advancing India’s self-reliance and a worldwide leader in next-generation solar technology.

IITB and Advanced Renewable Tandem Photovoltaic (ART-PV) India, a startup originating from the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IITB that has been incubated within SINE-IITB, has created a 4T-silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell that will not only generate more electricity with a reduced number of solar cells but also be significantly less expensive than traditional solar cells.

“Perovskite solar cells are known for high power conversion efficiency and low production cost; however, they were not stable and degraded faster than conventional solar cells but we have fabricated a stable perovskite tandem solar cell that is stable and increases the efficiency of a solar cell up to 30%. We believe it can be further increased as it has a theoretical efficiency limit up to 45% based on simulation studies,” said IITB professor Dinesh Kabra.