[PXP Corporation] “Bending solar cells” that are immortal in space
*View in browser* *PXP Co., Ltd.*
Press release: June 11, 2024
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“Bending solar cells” that are immortal in space
*Longer lifespan confirmed with enhanced self-healing, presented at an international conference in the United States*
Image of radiation exposure and self-healing in space
PXP Inc. (Headquarters: Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture), a startup that is challenging the world with next-generation solar cells, has developed a self-healing enhanced chalcopyrite solar cell that is extremely resistant to the strong radiation environment in space. IEEE
Presented at a solar power generation expert conference.
Until now, it has been known that chalcopyrite solar cells have strong radiation resistance. For example, it has been reported that they do not deteriorate even after being exposed to electron beams, a type of radiation, in an amount equivalent to about 100 years in the space environment. It had been done. Recent research has reported that chalcopyrite solar cells self-recover from radiation damage through heat and light, and this is thought to be the reason for their strong radiation resistance. However, when exposed to large amounts of proton beams, which are even more damaging than electron beams, self-healing could not keep up and deterioration occurred.
PXP has developed an enhanced self-healing chalcopyrite solar cell, which can survive exposure to proton beams equivalent to approximately 100 years in a geostationary orbit environment or approximately 400 years’ worth in a low orbit environment. At the 50th IEEE conference held in Puerto Rico in June 2023, the performance maintenance rate was 100% due to self-healing by heat and light.
A report was made at a solar power generation expert meeting. However, it is necessary to confirm whether a similar self-healing effect is induced at the relatively low temperatures at which solar cells are actually operated, or even with weak light transmitted through the top cell when another solar cell is stacked in tandem. was. Therefore, the 52nd IEEE Conference was held in Seattle, USA in June this year.
At the Photovoltaic Power Generation Experts Conference, it was reported that the self-healing effect is fully induced even at the temperatures at which solar cells are actually operated and even when they are connected in tandem.
Proton beam exposure and performance maintenance rate of self-healing enhanced solar cells
PXP development roadmap
Chief Technology Officer: Hironori Sugimoto says the following. “Our Gen1 technology, self-healing enhanced chalcopyrite solar cells, is ultra-lightweight, long-life, and low-cost, so we believe it is a technology that can contribute to long-term missions in space. Fortunately, the perovskite top of the tandem solar cell that we are developing as Gen2 technology will be essential in the future, as the photoelectric conversion efficiency is not sufficient for solar cells. Recent research has revealed that perovskite cells also have extremely high radiation resistance.Currently, perovskites still need to overcome the challenges of durability against heat and light, but in the future, they can be used for extremely long periods of time. We hope that this technology will become essential for space solar power generation systems that need to be operated.”
* [About PXP Corporation] *
We are a green tech development startup established in Sagamihara City in 2020 by a gathering of engineers with extensive experience in solar panel device research and mass production technology development. Clean energy anytime, anywhere
Aiming for a world where anyone can use our products freely, we are conducting research and development on light, bendable, unbreakable solar panels and all-solid-state battery-integrated solar panels using the world’s first tandem structure of perovskite/chalcopyrite. The mass production technology pilot line has been in operation since 2024.
* *Term explanation*
Tandem solar cell:
Solar cells convert light of a wide range of wavelengths into electricity without waste by stacking multiple solar cells with different spectral sensitivities. Our company stacks perovskite solar cells, which generate electricity well with ultraviolet to red light, and chalcopyrite solar cells, which generate electricity well with red to infrared light.
All-solid-state battery:
A storage battery that uses a solid material for the electrolyte. High heat resistance and safety.
PXP Co., Ltd.
Established July 2020
Representative: Satoru Kuritanikawa
Head Office Midori Ward, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture HP https://pxpco.jp/
SNS https://twitter.com/pxp_en
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