Research team takes major leap forward with innovative solar panel design: ‘These results
April 6, 2025
A team of solar cell researchers led by Professor Latha Marasamy in Mexico may have advanced efforts for future sun-catching tech.
Marasamy’s group is from the Autonomous University of Querétaro. It is studying promising perovskite solar cells.
Perovskites are a family of minerals that are good at converting sunlight into electricity when part of a panel. The substance can convert up to 30% of rays to energy, compared to the 20%-25% range for other common materials, like silicon. But perovskite panels have a short lifespan, while the other kinds can work for decades, per Solar Magazine.
The Mexican team is focused on chalcogenide perovskite solar cells, which are made a little differently than halide versions. According to a study published in the Next Nanotechnology journal, the chalcogenide cells could reach higher efficiencies than halide because of “better material characteristics.”
To help unlock chalcogenides, the researchers in Mexico added a strontium zirconium sulfide absorber to the cell’s metal organic framework, or MOF. While many MOF types were studied, a copper-based framework was found to work best with the absorber, garnering a remarkable 30.6% predicted efficiency, per the Tech Xplore-published findings.
“These results are groundbreaking,” researcher Aruna-Devi Rasu Chettiar said in the report.
Nearly 200 configuration simulations were examined. Layer thickness and other specs were considered as part of analysis that the team hopes ushers in a “new era” of solar power, particularly thin-film, durable, and highly efficient panels, per the findings.
Solar generation is increasing globally, up 25% from 2022 to 2023, and accounting for 5.4% of electricity-making. Hydropower and wind remain the renewable leaders. But solar has become the cheapest option for new generation development in most countries, and it’s poised to become the largest renewable energy type by the end of the decade, the International Energy Agency reported.
Because the panels don’t produce heat-trapping air pollution, the technology is a far cleaner option than dirty fuels. Reducing fumes from burning fossil fuels is crucial to avoiding worst-case scenarios from our planet’s overheating. NASA has linked the warming to increased risks for severe weather, including conditions that enable terrible wildfires.
Large companies, including Meta, are investing in solar farms to offset power use from their energy-hogging data centers. And experts are figuring out how to incorporate the suncatchers in all kinds of unique places, including railroad tracks and on water.
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It remains a great time to install solar panels stateside, too, thanks to still-available tax breaks that can cover a large chunk of the costs for homeowners. EnergySage is a free resource that can help you find the right installer and get the most out of incentives.
A study by California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently found that most American households save nearly $700 annually after installing panels, even when including installation costs.
What’s more, you don’t have to install tech at home to reap solar benefits. By subscribing to a community solar program, you can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
For the Mexican team’s part, experts are hopeful their findings will be used by other scientists in the solar community.
“Our research could pave the way … to develop highly efficient thin-film solar cells,” doctoral researcher Evangeline Linda said, per Tech Xplore.
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