Dyesol Limited has announced they have been awarded a AU$2.5 million grant under the Cooperative Research Centre Projects (CRC-P) programme. The grant is administered by the Australian Department of Industry.
The funding support is for an 18 month project titled, "Large Area Perovskite Photovoltaic Material Coating on Glass Substrate" and complements Dyesol's Major Area Demonstration (MAD) prototype development activities.
Dyesol will lead the project and other partners are CSR Building Products, and its subsidiary, CSR Viridian, and CSIRO.
According to the announcement this project is expected to provide valuable inputs and better outcomes for other funding opportunities currently being sought. Commensurate with this timeframe, Dyesol plans to move from prototype development into pilot line production in Australia. These are two key steps prior to planned mass production of PSC photovoltaic panels.
The grant by the Department of Industry (DOI) supports the broader national Science and Research Priority for the Growth Sector of 'Advanced Manufacturing'.
About Perovskite solar cell technology
Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) technology is a photovoltaic (PV) technology based on applying low cost materials in a series of ultrathin layers encapsulated by protective sealants. Dyesol's technology has lower embodied energy in manufacture, produces stable electrical current, and has a strong competitive advantage in low light conditions relative to incumbent PV technologies. This technology can be directly integrated into the building envelope to achieve highly competitive building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
The key material layers include a hybrid organic-inorganic halide-based perovskite light absorber and nano-porous metal oxide of titanium oxide. Light striking the absorber promotes an electron into the excited state, followed by a rapid electron transfer and collection by the titania layer. Meanwhile, the remaining positive charge is transferred to the opposite electrode, thereby generating an electrical current.
This 3rd generation photovoltaic technology is projected to produce energy cheaper than any currently available solar energy technology.
Source: Dyesol Ltd