According to a report from the US Daily Science website on the 10th, researchers from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and the Center of Excellence in Exciton Science at the University of New South Wales in Australia recently discovered that the use of singlet fission and tandem solar cells can be more efficient Generate solar energy, and at the same time help reduce operating temperature, extend equipment life, and introduce a new paradigm for the development of a new generation of solar energy technology.

The tandem battery can be composed of new compounds such as silicon and perovskite nanocrystals. The perovskite nanocrystals have a larger band gap than silicon, which helps the device capture more solar spectrum for power generation.

The best solution for traditional solar cells is that each photon generates an electron as a carrier of electrical energy. The singlet fission technology produces twice as many electrons as in the traditional case, that is, one photon excites two electrons. There is tetracene in the equipment that realizes singlet fission, which can transfer the energy generated by singlet fission to silicon.

Scientists and engineers around the world are working hard to find the best way to integrate tandem cells and singlet fission processes into commercial solar equipment to replace traditional single-junction silicon solar cells commonly found in rooftops and large-scale arrays.

This time, the researchers highlighted some key advantages of series cells and singlet fission. Researchers have shown that silicon/perovskite tandem cells and singlet fission cells based on tetracene can operate at lower temperatures than traditional silicon devices. This will reduce the impact of heat loss on the equipment, extend the service life of the equipment, and reduce the energy cost of equipment production.

For example, a reduction in the operating temperature of the module by 5°C-10°C is equivalent to an increase of 2%-4% in annual power generation. It is generally found that the lifetime of the device doubles for every 10°C decrease in temperature. This means that the life of the series battery has increased by 3.1 years, and the life of the singlet fission battery has increased by 4.5 years.

In addition, the singlet fission battery has another advantage. When tetracene is inevitably degraded, it will become transparent to solar radiation, allowing the battery to continue to function as a traditional silicon device.

The lead author of this research, Dr. Jessica Yajie, said: “The commercial value of photovoltaic technology can be achieved by improving energy conversion efficiency or extending operating life. The former is the main driving force for the development of next-generation technologies, while (previously) people almost The latter, the potential life-span advantage, was not considered."