Perovskite solar energy is a high-profile emerging optoelectronic material that can be coated on various substrates. Recently, Swans University in the United Kingdom and Tata Steel in India have launched a new cooperation, hoping to develop solar cells directly used on steel.
Making building parts also have the function of generating electricity can be said to be a new way to integrate solar energy in buildings.
Debashish Bhattacharjee, vice president of new materials business at Tata Steel, signed a three-year research memorandum with Swans University, hoping to reduce the impact of the steel industry on the environment. Dave Worsley, head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Swansea University, also proposed another vision.
The team hopes that in the future, the building will have a “built-in” solar energy system, rather than installing it on the outer wall. Worsley pointed out that the printable characteristics of perovskite solar energy make it possible to build perovskite in the structure of homes, shops and offices in the future.
Now that the concept is known to work, the new collaboration with Tata Steel will enable faster development of potential to develop new steel products that can generate electricity.
The Swans University team will apply past experience with perovskite materials and solar cell printing techniques, while Tata Steel will focus on the material supply chain and adapt the steel coating to deposit perovskite solar cells on top.
This is also not the first time the two sides have collaborated, having collaborated in the past on various initiatives in steel production and renewable energy.
Sumitesh Das, director of research and development at Tata Steel UK, pointed out that we are excited about the possibilities offered by perovskite technology, especially in terms of integrating different building and construction solutions of Tata Steel. An important step towards achieving the net zero goal.
Read more here:
- Applying perovskite solar cells onto BIPV steel products
- Image Source: freeimages
