Storage Breakthroughs Promises The Next Leap In Solar Energy

Solar energy production benefits from 'leaps' in technological innovation, much like any other field of science. The latest developments, however, may be particularly influential. The BBC recently reported on new innovations in the use of perovskite solar panels, which are increasingly providing better retention of energy over time - a classic sticking point in the mass collection and storage of solar energy. A sign of the constant improvement of solar energy that makes the market so compelling, industry experts are examining where, and how, it could make an impact.

Where solar is working

Right now, solar is working well in the residential market. Solar panel uptake exploded in 2020, according to CleanTechnica, with installations rising a huge 21% across the USA. There are many reasons for this, with government subsidization and the attractiveness of selling energy back to the grid among them. However, as industry experts Freedom Solar Power note, a big selling point of residential solar is efficiency. Solar energy can be piped right from the panel to the home and stored, either through tech like the Tesla PowerWall, or through heating up water sources for later use. This is a contrast to the challenges of industrial-scale energy farming.

Solar's storage problem

Solar has long had a problem with storage. The conventional advantage of fossil fuel power plants is that they can be used on demand. Gas and oil is kept in silo, and then fired when the energy surge is needed. Solar cannot do this, and particularly at night, when energy demands rise - at least in residential areas. Peak demand is, as noted by Quartz, extremely variable across the world, whereas solar, and solar batteries, are reliant entirely on the sun. With batteries unable to contain energy for more than a few weeks, this makes solar energy of little use for, say, winter.

Can perovskite be effective?

This is where perovskite comes in. Perovskite transfers energy between the solar panel and the battery cell at almost double the efficiency of classic silicon panels. This means that the energy is available sooner, at a faster rate, and with less environmental impact. While not solving the storage equation, it does mean that energy can be collected quicker, and with less stopgaps in the process.

This, in turn, will mean that energy can be supplied more consistently and efficiently; and it frees up investment dollars and time for use in batteries. The only current downside is that engineers cannot tell if the material will hold up to 25 years of use; only extended stress testing can tell. Either way, solar panel innovation continues to drive forward.