WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) The United States designated $20 million for multiple research grants to develop and commercialize the use of minerals known as perovskites in solar cells, the Energy Department said press release on Thursday.
"When used to create solar cells, they have shown potential for high performance and low production costs. To be competitive in the marketplace, perovskite's long-term durability must be tested and verified," the release said.
Researchers recently demonstrated a 25 percent increase in perovskite solar cells' efficiency when converting sunlight to electricity over existing technology, according to the Energy Department.
However, the Energy Department has acknowledged obstacles to commercialization, including high heat, moisture and extended periods of light - all of which tend to degrade the material. In addition, existing prototypes use lead, which would likely need replacement due to environmental concerns.
The grant money will be distributed to multiple research areas, including efforts to advance perovskite stability, develop non-toxic replacement materials, explore mass production techniques and develop independent sources to evaluate the resulting product, the release said.
