Is the solar industry entering a new era?
17:29 Share

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

and save $5 when you spend $15 or more. Hurry in before these deals are gone. Offer ends June 17th. Promotions may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit JewelOsco.com for more details. For the ones who get it done, the most important part is the one you need now, and the best partner is the one who can deliver. That's why millions of maintenance and repair pros trust Grainger, because we have professional-grade supplies for every industry, even hard-to-find products.

and we have same-day pickup and next-day delivery on most orders. But most importantly, we have an unwavering commitment to help keep you up and running. Call, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.

The next generation of solar panel is here. Does it really deliver on its promises? And the answer is yes, and it does so because of the unique nature of this perovskite composition. Perovskites are more efficient and more flexible than traditional cells.

and have now gone live. If you're a scientist like me, they have really cool properties which we have yet to discover. Is this going to change the way that we look at solar renewable energy? I think so, yeah. They have the ability to generate electricity at a lower cost than ever before, or the

The solar industry is entering a new era. We suddenly get this whole new theoretical limit of efficiency. We've totally smashed through that ceiling. If we get through that limit, the ability to have the same amount of energy created on a smaller space...

is really, really profound. Yet perovskites have only been tested with solar for 15 years. Have their flaws been addressed? The first research paper about these materials in solar panels was published in 2009. And whilst that sounds like a long time ago, in the world of scientific development, that's really young. And could the natural resources of places like Nigeria and Rwanda create a manufacturing hub

of the material in Africa. Believe me, the potential for rapid growth and innovation is there. This is Business Daily with Rick Kelsey on the magic new solar, where it's being made and when it will be coming to our rooftops.

I'm out on my flat roof with my solar panels in North London. They have a thin layer of dust on them, but they're generally designed to be self-cleaning by the rain and the slope they sit at. Like most panels, these are made of silicon. It's durable, but it has limits on how efficient it can be, how much energy it can pull from the sun.

There's a buzz about a new solar cell called perovskites that suggests they could generate more power from the same surface area as these panels.

What's new is that they are now being commercially produced for the first time. So what are they? So perovskites are a material and the perovskites that I'm interested in are a relatively new material discovered in the past 20 or so years. And they are very exciting for solar panels. They are really good at producing.

absorbing sunlight and converting it into electricity. Dr Alex Ramadan is a lecturer in energy materials at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Most PV or solar cells are made from silicon, about 95%. Perovskites can sit on top of traditional panels to make them produce more power.

So is that why we're so excited? Right now, we know that if we put them on top of our standard solar panels, we can make them at around about 27%. So that's 27% of the light from the sun that is absorbed and converted to electricity. And for reference, the panels that you would probably put on your roof now, around about 21%. So that's a huge gain. Would it cost us more to have these?

So it's going to cost you a little bit more, but the amount of money you end up saving in terms of the electricity you're producing is, I think, more than worth it. Obviously, we're all interested in what we can put on the roofs of our houses, but there are lots of different applications that these solar panels can be used for that we're not currently using solar panels for. So some researchers I know are looking into incorporating solar panels in cars, and

putting solar panels on planes, on drones. And this is all possible because these perovskite materials are very lightweight and they're not as rigid as our traditional solar panels. And so it just means that there's so many more opportunities for us to have solar panels powering our technologies in our world. So it's not just that they are more efficient, it's that they are more dynamic in how we can use them.

Yes, definitely. So in addition to them not being as rigid as our current technologies, we can also make them semi-transparent, which means that we could put them on windows of buildings and harness energy from surfaces that we currently are not harnessing energy from. What's the one thing, Alex, that's holding you back?

this back from being on our roofs right now? I would say it's time. This is a really new technology and it's actually the fastest developing solar technology to date.

So the first research paper about these materials in solar panels was published in 2009. And whilst that sounds like a long time ago in the world of scientific development, that's really young. So we just need a few more years. And I really think that we're going to start seeing them out and about in the real world.

The interest in perovskites has grown. In China, there are now an estimated 100 companies developing the material for solar to be more efficient at a lower cost. The big issue though is lifespan. Silicon panels typically last 25 years without losing too much efficiency. With perovskites, oxygen, moisture and heat all reduce this much more quickly.

But that is changing, yet the competition is creating a secrecy around their development. Chris Case is chief scientist at Oxford PV, thought by many as the world leaders in developing these new magic solar cells. Oxford PV are behind the first major commercial development of the new type of panels. For Oxford PV,

The first installations we've done is also in the utility marketplace. So they're out in fields. In this case, they're out in installation in the United States. It's not because the product isn't ready for residential rooftop. It's because there isn't enough product available for the moment.

And that's sort of the constraint. And it's a constraint that we have. We need to have much larger manufacturing facilities to sort of meet the demand from all the different customers. I see. But how do we make that product available as quick as possible? Well, you know, this is one of the things that the constant debate in around the world, you know, how do you finance the energy transition? Right.

And, you know, the marketplace for conventional fossil-based fuels still receives billions of dollars, in fact, more than a trillion dollars in subsidies, right, for oil and gas. Solar does not need subsidies.

I mean, the energy is already very inexpensive. But in order to support deploying it faster, you need to have good manufacturing. And right now, virtually all the manufacturing in PV is in China. Wow. And is it more expensive to make a perovskite on silicon panel than a traditional panel that people see when they look up every day? You know, that's, of course, the first question people should be asking about.

And the answer is kind of obvious. Because we use two different solar cells, we have a silicon solar cell, and then we add a perovskite solar cell on top of it, there is an additional manufacturing cost.

But the question that really should be asked, and this is not just by homeowners, but by anyone who deploys solar, is what is the cost of the energy that's being generated? And that is not directly tied to the manufacturing cost of the product or the selling cost of the product. And that's a flaw that perpetuates in this industry today.

So this is a new film-like solar material that can be printed and added to traditional solar panels. I wanted to discover why there is so much secrecy around it. Chris, you guys are thought pretty widely as the world leaders when it comes to this type of technology. But some people have said that the industry when it comes to perovskites is quite secretive, including yourselves. Do you think that's fair? Yeah.

Well, you know, if you, and I don't want to get too technical in terms of the materials and things, but this industry has predominantly relied on one material for virtually its entire life. And the modern solar industry dates from, you know, 1954, the first silicon solar cell from AT&T Bell Laboratories. They used to work there and they called it the solar battery, by the way, which is a cute name.

But it was made of silicon. It's a very abundant material and in principle, easy to transform into solar cells. It's not a great solar cell material. But your question was about the secretive nature of this.

And the response is in silicon, there really aren't that many secrets left. In fact, there isn't even much patented intellectual property remaining. People still improve the product. It's amazing how they've actually pushed the last bits of efficiency and are still managing to reduce costs in the market.

marketplace. But perovskite's new. It's new to PV. It's not new as a material, but it's new to PV. It's barely been out there 10 years. And there is a lot of intellectual property and know-how that goes into this arena. When you or I think about putting solar in our homes, one of the main questions will be the payback time. How long before we make money back on that investment? A more efficient solar cell could change the centre of that debate.

The UK government with Swansea University are investing in perovskite's manufacture in Africa. They believe countries such as Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa have the raw materials to build perovskite solar cells more cheaply than traditional silicon panels. In Nigeria, one of the people making this happen is chemistry professor Emeka Aguzi of the Africa's Centre of Excellence in Future Energies.

The conditions for manufacture of silicon solar cells are a bit more stringent and more technically demanding than the conditions for manufacture of perovskites, right? We are setting up, we're almost done. And believe me, this is possible because we are setting up just for perovskites. And the primary thing we need is to have good printers. And other partners will have also the expertise to go into this fabrication.

What's also more important for us is the opportunity for us to play with it, right? To think with it and to develop systems that are suited for us with our own materials. All of these possibilities, right, are what makes...

What makes me or what makes us think that perovskites will be best or the best alternative for us if we are going to have the capacity for solar cell manufacture in Africa? What's the potential here? I mean, Africa's got one of the biggest...

solar parks in the world, in Benban, up in Egypt. What's the potential with perovskites when it comes to powering people's homes in places that really need it? The potential for perovskites, one is it's easy, I think it's more easily adapted to local manufacturing, like I said before, right? And two, we can bring in more people to play, to work on this. Young people in Nigeria are very

are very tech savvy right when you mention tech to the average Nigerian young person their mind goes to fintech financial technology that's where they all play right but by the time we commonize the perovskite technology also in Nigeria in Africa then you have more young people key into this and believe me the the potential for rapid growth and innovation is it's it's there

Professor Emeka Oguzi in Nigeria at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Future Energies. You're listening to Business Daily on the magic new solar material from the BBC World Service.

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Jewel Osco. Now through June 17th, shop in-store or online for your favorite personal care items and save $5 when you spend $15 or more. Stock up on items like Dove Body Wash, Degree Motion Sense Deodorant, Trace-A-May Hairspray, Dove Shampoo, Dove Bar Soap, Dove Men's Body and Face Wash, and Dollar Shave Club Blades.

and save $5 when you spend $15 or more. Hurry in before these deals are gone. Offer ends June 17th. Promotions may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit Jewelosco.com for more details.

What makes Hawaiian Bros so different? We have no freezers, no fryers, and no microwaves. Because when you skip all that, you're left with one thing. Fresh. Right now, we're grilling, saucing, and tossing fresh ingredients into our mouth-watering new wraps. Choose teriyaki-glazed huli huli chicken, the kickin' sweet heat of our Molokai Mac, or the citrusy, irresistible Pacific Island Wrap. Grab one today for just $7.99. Only at Hawaiian Bros.

We've heard from the producers of these solar cells. We've heard from the scientists. But what about the wider industry view? Is it actually going to work? Journalist Imogen Begale is from the Everything Electric show and has been discussing perovskites' potential over the last couple of years. Imogen, thanks so much for coming on the show. Oh, no problem at all. I'm delighted to be here. Now, do you get the hype with perovskites?

Yes, absolutely yes, because we are fast approaching the theoretical limit of efficiency of traditional silicon solar PV.

And if perovskites can be commercially viable, we suddenly get this whole new theoretical limit of efficiency. We've totally smashed through that ceiling. If we get through that limit, the ability to have the same amount of energy created on a smaller space is really, really profound. It means we can use our rooftops or solar fields in a far, far more efficient way. And that is something to be really, really excited about.

The difficulty here seems to be actually doing that at scale. And that seems to be the major flaw.

But I think that's true of any new technology. I mean, we're talking about things on the nanoscale and on the nanoscale, things behave in incredibly weird and wonderful ways. And in order to commercialize and scale up that technology, that does take a tremendous amount of time. And I know that you've been speaking to various scientists, and I feel like scientists are a slightly different breed from engineers. Engineers will go into something with a certain degree of, you know, we can be X, Y, Z confident on a particular point. Whereas

You will never reach perfection when it comes to being a scientist. And so there's always going to be that caution and trepidation. When I've been speaking with these scientists and these developers and producers...

They admit that there is a certain amount of secrecy that surrounds perovskites. Are you surprised by the amount of secrecy around them? Oh, good question. Am I surprised by the amount of secrecy? I suppose not. And I wonder whether that's a little bit because whenever you hear these brand new sort of new hypothetical limits that these could reach...

That's extremely exciting. And I think you and I are probably guilty of hearing those potential headlines and thinking, wow, you know, we can get really, really excited and back this. Whereas the scientists know that actually this is going to take time and it's going to take time to not only make it commercially viable, but to be able to make it commercially viable and accessible for residential solutions as well.

And so I wonder whether some of that trepidation or some of that secrecy comes from maybe managing expectations, but of course, also trying to keep that secret recipe secret as well. Imogen, there's a theme that's flowing through the show, which is basically me asking everybody, when do you think we're going to see perovskite solar panels on people's roofs near to you? Now, of course, that probably depends on where you are in the world. But what's your answer?

Well, like any new technology, for the first instance, they're going to come at a bit of a price premium, purely because it's new and because they're probably not producing at the same scale as the incumbent technology.

I think we will see it in industrial applications and grid scale applications in the next sort of five years or so at a meaningful scale, but perhaps it's going to take a further five, so 10 years in total before we see residential solar that's from perovskite. The journalist Imogen Begalda

Now, many would argue that solar is the cheapest form of renewable energy. But we know that the silicon cell, the traditional cell, is hitting a brick wall now when it comes to how much power we can pull from it. Here's Chris Case again. A lot of people don't actually care about the technology behind things. They just care about the result.

But they should be excited that the potential for driving the energy transition even faster and providing a route to higher energy in their own applications, in their own experiences, I'd say they should care about it. And if they're interested in the impact from the materials perspective, they should say, well, I heard about this material. Does it really deliver on its promises? And the answer is yes, and it does so

because of the unique nature of this perovskite composition. So perovskite cells still seem a way off coming to our homes and there are still doubts about their durability. But when they do come, it may change the fundamental question of is putting solar on your roof worth it? That's BBC Business Daily on the magic new solar material with Rick Kelsey.

Offer ends June 17th.

Promotions may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit JewelOscar.com for more details.