Members of National Central University’s (NCU) Research Center for New Generation Photovoltaics yesterday announced that they have developed efficient perovskite solar cells that work in room lighting and are working with groups in Japan to improve verification techniques for cell efficiency.
Using perovskite — a calcium titanium oxide mineral whose chemical structure can be reproduced in the laboratory from various elements — to develop solar cells is a competitive field, as cell efficiency has skyrocketed from 3.8 percent in 2009 to 23.7 percent last year, said Wu Chun-guey (吳春桂), a chemistry department professor and director of the center.
Her team has developed perovskite solar cells up to 100m2 that can be used in room lighting to charge simple laboratory devices such as hygrometers, Wu said.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The cells can be made into thin-film layers, so the team would like to collaborate with other researchers to develop applications for space technology, she said.
A perovskite solar cell has a layer of lead — less than 0.01 percent of its total composition — but the layer can be dissolved by a chemical solution, making it easier to recycle than silicon solar cells, she said.
In 2012, the chemistry department received funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish an advanced laboratory of accommodation and research for organic photovoltaics, and since then, the team has been working with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and others to develop better ways of verifying the efficiency of solar cells, she said.
Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the US, Germany and Italy are the world’s leaders in developing the techniques, Wu added.
In 2017, the department’s Photovoltaic Efficiency Verification Laboratory became the nation’s first university laboratory to obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation for solar cell calibration.
To test cell efficiency under various lighting conditions, the laboratory is equipped with a solar simulator, indoor lighting and LED lighting systems, said Chen Chia-yuan (陳家原), an assistant professor in the department, adding that the LED-lit environment is key to solar cell development.
Tokyo-based Ishikawa Trading Co has asked the laboratory to test sample solar cells, and a contract is expected to be signed later this year, he said.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
The New Taipei City Art Museum this weekend plans to celebrate its first anniversary with a two-day extravaganza featuring live concerts and a large-scale synchronized fireworks and drone display, the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said. The two-day celebrations are to take place in the museum’s outdoor park, with markets and live performances by singers including Ann Bai (白安), Bii (畢書盡) and the Cosmos People (宇宙人), the department said. The highlight on both evenings would be the "Echoes of Light" show, an aerial spectacle combining fireworks and drone performances designed around the concept of "dual stages in the sky," it
RSS