by Simon Sage

January 12, 2025

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have chipped away at another problem plaguing next-generation solar panels.

Through an X-ray-based experiment, they've been able to determine why perovskite solar cells improve efficiency as humidity goes down.

"Like most of your electronics, it turns out getting these things wet is not a good idea," research lead Tim Kelly told Tech Xplore.

The discovery came by way of a happy accident that Kelly calls "the magic of science." His original research was meant to find out why a particular kind of perovskite cell was failing. The original thinking was that it had to do with the elements being used in the material, but it turns out moisture was just making a few atoms more mobile than they should have been, leading to corrosion. The research paper lays out perovskite cell performance at 0%, 40%, and 80% relative humidity.

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Perovskite has been a promising technology for years, but a handful of barriers have stopped it from reaching mass production. Namely, the atomic structure is prone to decay over time. Small improvements here and there are getting us closer to these next-generation solar cells, however. For example, a new additive has been shown to improve stability at high temperatures, which is sorely needed for something exposed to as much sun as possible. Other research has found excellent coating layers that can help protect against moisture, which, as we see, is a high priority for performance.

Perovskite solar panels require less energy to make than traditional silicon, which means a big reduction in costs. Perovskite is also able to more efficiently absorb shortwave light than silicon cells. Some cutting-edge applications have perovskite and silicon working in tandem so all the bases can be covered.

These incremental improvements to the technology are a long series of steps to what will be a big leap in solar panel performance for the whole world. It will take a few years while these results translate from lab experiments to finished products, though. In the meantime, it's still a great idea to upgrade your home with solar panels. On top of helping to build a greener future by getting us off fossil fuel energy, solar panels also save you a few bucks on your utility bills. Take a look at this online solar savings calculator to see how much money you could be pocketing each month.