Why These Quirky Advances Could Change Solar Forever

Recently, some pretty strange solar  tech has caught my eye. Before you lies three new contraptions  for every kind of conjurer: a coating that could someday transform  objects into miniature solar panels, a memory alloy that can shift panels into  different shapes, and a dye that can transmute a solar panel into…a better-performing  solar panel. Every little bit counts.

These concepts might not translate into  usable tech for a while. But as solar’s deployment and commercialization  continues to rapidly progress, it’s still fun to take a moment to stop and  stare at the weird little things scientists are discovering along the way. They may lead  to some interesting developments down the road.

So, what’s the story behind these experiments? And  can anything practical actually come out of them? I’m Matt Ferrell … welcome to Undecided.

This video is brought to you by Incogni. Ever watched a chemistry demonstration  and thought of ancient alchemy, or spotted a tech expo showstopper  and wondered if it would’ve been called sorcery at some point? The line  between science and magic can blur, especially when new tech looks downright  bizarre.

But for lab researchers, it’s just another day at work. I had to dive deeper into  these developments because… well, you’ll see. Perovskites come up a lot on this channel,  and for good reason: they’re powerful, hitting lab efficiencies of 25% — which is  a bit higher than what we typically see in a commercial silicon solar cell.

But they’re still  improving. But it’s not just about efficiency; perovskites are thin, flexible, and versatile,  enabling some groundbreaking use cases. Researchers at Oxford University’s physics  department developed an ultra-thin perovskite coating, just over a micron thick — nearly 150  times thinner than a silicon wafer.

Usually, making cells this thin reduces efficiency  to around 7 to 18%, but Oxford tackled this with multi-junction cells, stacking layers to  capture more of the light spectrum and boost efficiency. Think of it like layering a bunch of  complementary solar cells all tuned to different wavelengths of light. Working together,  they can capture more of the light spectrum, and thereby get more juice out  of a given amount of sunlight.

Oxford’s new flexible perovskites hit 27%  efficiency in lab conditions, which has been verified by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced  Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). And this could just be the start. Shuaifeng Hu from the  Oxford team noted that their device jumped from an efficiency of 6% to 27% in just five years,  suggesting future iterations could exceed 45% with further multi-junction tweaks.

That  would be incredible… if they can pull it off. This is all very well and good, but it’s also  not that strange, right? Perovskites have been known to outperform silicon for a while.

And  while a 45% efficiency could be a game-changer, it’s still just a “could. ” So, let’s get weird.  The Oxford team believes this ultra-thin coating could turn everyday objects into solar  panels.

As team member Junke Wang puts it: ”We can envisage perovskite coatings being  applied to broader types of surface to generate cheap solar power, such as the  roof of cars and buildings and even the backs of mobile phones. If more solar energy  can be generated in this way, we can foresee less need in the longer term to use silicon  panels or build more and more solar farms. ” The cost of solar energy has  fallen by over 80% between 2010 and 2021, and as manufacturing technology  gets better and solar gets more popular, it's going to keep going down.

For right  now (and for the foreseeable future), the most expensive part of building a solar farm  is buying the vast tracts of land for all your PV modules. The Oxford team theorizes that using  their perovskites to make PVs more efficient in more places could help reduce the massive land  requirements. The Oxford team suggests that their tech could have a big impact on everything from  utilities and construction to car manufacturing.

Now let’s do some interdimensional  travel. Oftentimes, solar cell stats reflect what’s possible under  ideal conditions — direct sunlight, perfect temperatures, and pristine  lab settings. But in the real world, especially at home, PVs face clouds, trees,  dust, snow, and more blocking their light.

So how can we get the most out of our solar cells  when they’re in less than ideal conditions? Well, scientists from the Korea Electrotechnology  Research Institute (KERI) have a proposal: this. Despite appearances, this is not a LeMarchand box, or something from Hellraiser, but it’s just about  as weird.

This is the latest three-dimensional, shape-changing PV module. Of course, most  solar panels exist in three dimensions already, but “3D modules” like this are designed  to collect solar energy from multiple directions rather than just the one (or  two, in the case of bifacial solar panels). How do PVs collect more light in less-than-ideal  conditions?

Let’s revisit our real-world scenario: the sun and earth are constantly moving, so  optimizing solar panel alignment is key. In the northern hemisphere, that usually means  pointing panels south. But what if a tree, hill, or large billboard blocks the  way?

Or maybe your house lacks enough south-facing roof space? I've  run into that problem myself. There are a few workarounds, but they’re not perfect.

You could add more panels in  less ideal spots or use solar tracking devices to maximize sunlight capture.  However, both options drive up costs. That brings us back to the 3D solar  modules KERI is developing.

With their multi-dimensional structure, these modules  capture light from multiple directions, maximizing energy in less-than-ideal  conditions. It’s like the brute-force approach of adding more panels  on a rooftop, but with a twist. Before getting into that twist, there’s another  tool I’ve been using to help with another less-than-ideal condition: that’s protecting  your online privacy with today’s sponsor, Incogni.

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Use code UNDECIDED at the link below  and get 60% off an annual plan. Thanks to Incogni and to all of you for supporting the channel.  So back to KERI’s interesting twist on solar.

KERI’s earlier design used semi-flexible PVs  made of triangles attached to a metal textile that folds like origami, allowing deployment  in unconventional spots — benches, awnings, or even telephone poles. Building on  this, researchers developed a memory alloy that lets the PVs follow the sun  without motors, shifting into 3D shapes to capture light from all angles. It’s no  Optimus Prime, but it’s a clever transformer, boosting efficiency by 60% compared to a  flat, stationary PV facing south all day.

KERI doesn’t compare their  device to other sun-trackers, so they’re putting themselves in the best light  — pun intended. But unlike motorized trackers, KERI’s PVs avoid those additional failure points. Still not strange enough for you?

Well, now,  KERI’s latest study, “Electric power from shadows and indoors: solar cells under diffuse light  conditions,” explores how much diffuse light exists in urban and indoor environments  — bouncing off clouds, shiny buildings, cars, and indoor surfaces like walls and  tables. This is a very theory-heavy paper, but the authors’ findings point out that  there’s a lot more diffuse light in urban and indoor conditions than you might first expect.  To start, there’s the diffuse light coming through clouds.

It’s reflecting off the shiny glass,  steel, and polished stone exteriors of nearby buildings. It's ricocheting off passing cars. Then  there’s all sorts of electric lights in cities, and all that light is bouncing off various  surfaces indoors like tables and walls.

Although the study focuses on 2D PVs, KERI  suggests that a 3D module would be the next step. If light’s coming in from every odd angle,  a shape-changing 3D PV could make the most of it. While I’m always skeptical of studies that  pitch their own device as the solution, if KERI’s tech checks out, it could pave the way for  PVs that work well in less than ideal conditions.

And speaking of checking something out, check  to see if you're subscribed to the channel. I’ve been getting a lot of messages from folks that  thought they were subscribed, but aren’t. If you think I’ve earned it, subscribing and hitting the  notification bell not only helps to make sure you don’t miss a video, but it helps with the almighty  YouTube algorithm.

Anyway, onto the next one… Flexibility is great, but how about  a solar cell with a little ink? Not a tattoo — but a dye that concentrates more  light into the solar cell. That’s what researchers from the Silesian University  of Technology in Poland have cooked up.

These dye-concentrator cells are  similar to dye-sensitized cells (DSSCs), but with a key difference. Typically, solar  panels work by exposing silicon to sunlight, knocking electrons and “holes” loose. If we  can capture these before they settle, we get a usable electrical current.

Think about it like  a game of billiards. Imagine that the cue ball is the sunlight, and the rest on the table are our  electrons and holes. The cue ball hits the rack, sends those solids and stripes flying, and if  we’re skilled enough — or just lucky — we’ll sink a few into the pockets and score points…in  other words, a usable electrical current.

DSSCs use photosensitive dye instead of silicon,  making it easier to free up electrons because the dye is more light-sensitive. The semiconducting  layer, usually titanium dioxide, helps keep those electrons moving. Using dye is like playing  billiards with a lighter snooker set.

If your photon break shot connects with the rack, that  lighter weight is going to make it easier to get more movement, so you’re more likely to sink  something into one of the pockets and score. While DSSCs focus on electrons, dye  concentrators work on photons. They act like lenses, focusing light more  effectively onto the cell surface, making it easier to capture light from all  angles.

It’s like putting a funnel on the billiards table (not recommended at bars),  guiding the ball right into the pocket. In the study, red dye boosted power generation by  1. 21% on average.

That might not sound like much, but every point counts. Dye concentrators  are also easier to make than DSSCs, which require complex manufacturing  and don’t scale easily. Concentrators just focus on their one job. 

As the researchers explained: “These dyes are utilized as elements that  concentrate solar radiation onto a silicon cell; they do not generate electricity themselves and thus do not need to undergo a  series of chemical reactions, exhibit properties enabling connection to the  conductor surface, or possess redox properties. ” Because concentrators don’t need direct sunlight,  they’re great for areas with dispersed light, like cloudy Central Europe. Even in regions with  frequent clouds, UV rays are still abundant, and dye concentrators help  capture this diffuse light, which opens up more opportunities  for less-than-ideal conditions.

The benefits don’t stop at cloudy skies. Even  at 1,000 watts per square meter (W/m^2) — the irradiance on a typical sunny day — the efficiency  boost ranged from 0. 1% to 1.

1%, depending on dye type, color, and temperature. However, not all  variables showed improvement; four configurations decreased efficiency under low light (200 W/m^2).  Still, the luminescent red dye consistently boosted performance, peaking at a 1.

21%  increase — a solid reason to paint the town red. The Silesian team hopes dye concentrators  will make solar panels more efficient, reducing the need for more panels and cutting  down on PV waste. Silicon may be abundant, but with up to 40% material loss during wafer  production, any reduction is worthwhile.

So, how close are these technologies to hitting  the market? Truth is, they’re all in the early stages of development, with plenty of hurdles  to clear before they can even get close to commercialization. Don’t expect to see them  anytime soon, but that doesn’t make them any less exciting — these innovations are building  blocks for something potentially revolutionary.

The KERI team describes their 3D solar  design as a “concept car” — a prototype that challenges existing norms but isn’t  meant to go straight to production. They believe their core ideas could inspire  next-gen products, even if they don’t hit the market exactly as they appear now. Given  the complexity, that approach makes sense.

In a similar fashion, the Silesian University  researchers acknowledge that while their dye concentrators have clear potential, several  “key aspects” remain in the research phase. They’re working on optimizing placement,  adjusting the ratio of concentrators to PV components, and developing dyes  that are stable, durable, eco-friendly, and affordable to produce. You know, simple  stuff.

They also note that replacing part of the PV cell with a concentrator can reduce overall  efficiency, making them best suited for diffuse light conditions or large-scale PV systems  where the benefits outweigh the downsides. As for Oxford’s perovskite research, there’s  still no clear answer to the material’s infamous stability issues. However, Oxford PV — a  spin-off from the university — claims its tandem cells will “meet or exceed all industry lifetime  expectations” and have already begun large-scale manufacturing of these perovskite-on-silicon cells  in their German factory, which is the first of its kind in the world.

Oxford PV just launched  its perovskite tandem modules commercially, and while we can’t confirm if they’re sharing insights  with the research team, it wouldn’t be surprising. Before we get too carried away, lemme bring  us all back down to earth for a moment, and reiterate that as exciting as these weird  pieces of PV tech are, they’re still in early development. There's no way of telling when  or even if we’ll see these things in the wild.

The road to commercialization is littered with  seemingly rock-solid pieces of tech that never quite make it. I hope all these weird, wonderful  PV phenomena can navigate it successfully, because if they do that means more solar  energy. And the more solar, the better.

But what do you think? Which of these areas  of research catches your eye? Jump into the comments and let me know and be sure to listen  to my follow up podcast Still TBD where we’ll keep this conversation going.

Thanks as  always to my patrons for your continued support … your help really helps to keep this  channel going. I’ll see you in the next one.