Sugar Sam stands in his lab at the University of Victoria, holding a business card-sized solar array between his thumb and forefinger, slowly folding it into a rainbow and smiling.
The future of solar panels is in his hands.
Sam says the next generation of solar panels - thin, light, flexible and sometimes even transparent - will be applied to a variety of surfaces, from smart watches and mobile phones to car windows and electric vehicles.
"We want to be able to turn any surface into something that generates electricity, not just a roof," says Solair, a startup at the forefront of the process.
The more areas we cover with solar panels, the faster we can switch from fossil fuels to renewables.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in April that "to keep to 1.5 degrees, we need to reduce global emissions by 45% this decade". "First of all, we need to triple the rate of transition to renewable energy sources.
But as we make this transition, clean energy infrastructure must also become greener.
Although the production of electricity from solar energy does not generate carbon emissions, the production of conventional panels has a significant carbon footprint. In fact, a 2020 study published in Joule found that over the next decade, annual carbon dioxide emissions from the global solar industry will exceed today's emissions from international aviation.
According to Sam, the next generation of solar panels could change this trend. They will be greener, cheaper to manufacture and can produce more electricity than current arrays. And one day they may reduce those aviation emissions by joining light electric aircraft.
Disruption of the solar industry
Originally from Iran, Sam moved to Victoria over ten years ago to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. While Iran is rich in natural gas and oil, it is also blessed with sunlight, and Sam has long been interested in materials that absorb light and generate electricity. "We have free sun," he says. "We have to take advantage of it."
Defending his doctoral thesis, he developed and patented a technology for the production of transparent conductive layers for solar panel components. A few years later, in February 2020, he teamed up with Fabian de la Fuente, a former colleague with startup experience. Together they released Soliris. The company quickly grew to more than 20 employees and received many patents for materials and manufacturing processes.
"What we do should serve humanity," says Sam. "Now it's my turn to give back to the community, give back to Mother Earth and help the next generation live here and enjoy the planet."
To understand why the solar industry is poised for a revolution, you first need to understand how solar panels are made.
Solar panels consist of several layers. In ordinary boards, the semiconductor layer is made of silicon obtained from quartz rocks, which must be carefully drilled and cleaned. "Making something that's supposed to be green is a difficult process," says Sam.
Because silicon is cured at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, it must be sandwiched between layers of glass-like materials that can withstand extreme temperatures, meaning the resulting solar panels are heavy and rigid.
Solaires wants to replace it with another crystalline material called perovskite, which is also a semiconductor. In their lab, Sam and his colleagues combine chemicals to create a unique perovskite solution called solar paint.
The raw materials used to make solar paint are abundant and do not need to be extracted or refined. And perovskite doesn't need to be cured at high temperatures, so it can be sandwiched between plastics, making the final product thin and flexible. According to Sam, the perovskite layer is at least 1000 times thinner than the silicon layer.
"It's a simpler, greener and cheaper manufacturing process for solar panels," he said, adding that Solaires is working to develop a manufacturing process for perovskite solar cells that emits 40 percent less greenhouse gases and operate at a lower cost of capital than currently available. silicon solar panels.
Independent studies show that achieving such a goal is quite possible.
A 2020 study published in the journal Science Advances found that perovskite solar cells produce only half as many greenhouse gases per unit of energy as perovskite and silicon solar cells. Meanwhile, silicon solar cells are reported to cost about 50 percent more than perovskite solar cells, and another study found that perovskite solar cells can be twice as efficient as silicon solar cells.
One advantage is that perovskites can be modified to absorb light at different wavelengths, while silicon always absorbs the same part of the spectrum. In other words, perovskite solar panels can work in room light, while silicon solar panels can only work in sunlight.
"If it's on our laptops now, it can be sent," Sam said.
However, perovskite cells have their drawbacks. their greatest strength. Today, solar panels are guaranteed for 20 to 25 years. But perovskite solar cells currently only work for 3-5 years.
"Perovskite is very sensitive to moisture, oxygen and even light. So the amount of energy it can generate decreases over time," said Sam, adding that when the material was first tested ten years ago, it it only lasted a few hours. "Technology and sustainability will improve." But we are "starting over with what we have".
For Solaires, that means entering the market with products that typically last less than five years, such as mobile phones, smartwatches and tablets. As technology advances, the company plans to move into longer-life products such as electric vehicles.
Race to develop perovskite solar panels
More than a dozen companies worldwide are competing to develop perovskite technology, but Solaris is leading the way.
In December 2021, Solaires became the first company to bring its perovskite ink to market, and the company now sells the solar ink to solar panel manufacturers. He is also talking to makers of Internet-connected devices and electric cars that might be interested in adding perovskite solar panels to their products.
Back in the lab, Sam and his colleagues are improving the paint and manufacturing process with the goal of making larger solar cells from cheaper materials and testing the finished products. In the future, Solaires plans to license its technology to manufacturers.
Investors and governments are also betting on perovskite solar panels. The company has received more than $7 million in federal and provincial funding and grants, most of which have been awarded by the National Research Council of Canada through the Industrial Research Assistance Program.
Precedence Research estimated the global solar market at $197 billion in 2021 and expects it to grow to $368 billion by 2030.
But the main thing about the desert is not to win the race or get rich.
"My personal belief that I learned from my parents is to be good, do good, and that's the only way to feel good," says Sam. "People say your company is your idea. Solaires is my baby because I grow what I really believe in.
Disclaimer This content was created as part of a partnership and therefore may not meet the standards of neutral or independent journalism.
