Developing Air Processable Perovskite Solar Cells Compatible for African Laboratories

Cooperating countries: Ethiopia and Austria

Coordinating institution: Johannes Kepler University (JKU), Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells, Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci, Serdar.sariciftci@jku.at 

Partner institution: Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), Bahir Dar University (BDU)

Project duration: 1 May - 30 April 

Abstract:

Access to affordable, clean and sustainable energy drives social equity and economic growth by improving standards of living and industrial productivity. The evergreen renewable energy from the sun which is abundant, geopolitically free and consistent requires low cost, efficient and stable devices to convert it to electricity. It is strategically planned to solve the foreseeable world’s energy crisis particularly to improve the life style in rural Africa for electrifying homes, schools, and clinics, water pumping and cleaning. Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite (HOIP) solar cells have shown progress as low-cost, solution printable devices with superior optoelectronic properties and a big leap in efficiency since 2009. However, due to their poor stability in ambient air condition, this technology has still unresolved issues for large scale production and commercialization. The research community has not yet come up with a high-performance air stable HOIP solar cell, primarily due to poor crystallinity and hydrophilic nature of the components. Today’s high efficiency HOIP solar cells demand the state-of-the-art modern laboratories with high tech research facilities such as inert atmosphere glovebox systems. It is very rare to see such labs in Africa due to the high cost of the equipment’s, systems installation and operation and this need to be solved strategically through other alternatives. This project will develop air-stable perovskite solar cells which can be processed in ordinary African laboratories by incorporating passivators and additives with dispersion processed top contact finish. Success in this project will result in development of high efficiency and stable prototype perovskite solar cell at ambient environment condition.