Researchers from the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) have produced a perovskite solar cell which contains 50% less lead, replaced with the more innocuous tin. By fine-tuning their tin solar cell, the researchers were able to create a product that is able to absorb infrared light in a similar manner as silicon cells. They also found that by stacking lead-only cells with the ones mixed with tin can lead to power conversion results that outperform those of silicon-only power cells.

Indrachapa Bandara, lead author of the study and PhD student at ATI, said: “We are starting to see that many countries are treating the threat of climate change with the seriousness it deserves. If we are to get a handle on the problem and put the health of our planet on the right track, we need high-performing renewable energy solutions.... Our study has shown that tin based perovskite solar cells have an incredible amount of potential and could help countries such as the United Kingdom reach its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050”.

Researchers from Florida State University and Georgia Tech have been working on new ways for solar cells to absorb and use infrared light, a portion of the solar spectrum that is typically unavailable for solar cell technology.

“We’re working on a process to optimize the efficiency of solar cells,” said Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Lea Nienhaus. “The main drive is to optimize this process for solar applications”. The team has created a new approach for solar cells to facilitate a process called photon upconversion. In photon upconversion, two low energy photons are converted into one high-energy photon that emits visible light.