Next-generation solar cells
Globally, investments in solar cells are growing, yet Norway lags behind.
At the laboratory of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) in Bergen, we find an enthusiastic scientist who is dedicating many hours to change that.
The name is Dhayalan Velauthapillai. He is a professor and physicist at HVL and an expert in nanoparticles.
Together with a group of PhD students, he is exploring how nanotechnology can improve today's solar cells, hydrogen production, and energy storage, drawing inspiration from nature’s most important process.
The technology mimics photosynthesis: the sunlight absorbed by plants can be converted into electricity. With the help of nanotechnology, this capability can be harnessed and transformed into new materials with enhanced properties.
“We mimic the same process in the lab; we use pigments from leaves, flowers and fruits or other similar light-absorbing materials,” Dhayalan explains.
When light is absorbed by these pigments, the energy is channeled into a circuit using a material known as a semiconductor to generate electricity.
Unlike traditional silicon-based solar panels, Dhayalan experiments with cheaper and more flexible semiconductors.
Titanium dioxide is one such material. It is soluble and is found in many products, including paint. This means that energy can be generated on entirely new surfaces in near future.
“We can create the next generation of solar cells! Instead of conventional solar panels, you’ll be able to paint different layers of materials directly onto your house,” Dhayalan demonstrates.
Thin film of perovskite is another material Dhayalan uses that absorb and conduct energy, and it is significantly cheaper to produce than conventional solar cells.
“The production of pure silicon can cost billions and requires temperatures of 1 150 degrees Celsius and numerous components in the process. Perovskite, on the other hand, only requires 200 degrees and can be produced by a small company,” Dhayalan explains.
Reducing the investment cost for clean energy production will have many positive effects.
Sri Lanka, Dhayalan's country of origin, has suffered from prolonged poltical and economical turmoil due to energy shortages. Lowering the cost and increasing the accessibility of clean energy would greatly improve the situation in his home country and in other developing countries abundant in solar energy.
In response to this, he has established collaborations with Sri Lanka and several other international partners to enhance the development of education and research in this field.
At home, Dhayalan and his colleagues are actively pursuing the same objective. Launching the new master’s program in sustainable energy technology at HVL was an important step. Additionally, he hopes the field of nanotechnology will be strengthened in the coming years.
“Without our international PhD students, it would be impossible to conduct all this research at HVL,” Dhayalan emphasizes.
Solar cell solutions painted directly on walls or incorporated into wearable items like jackets, he envisions to see on the market within five to ten years.
“We will see perovskite-based solar cells within two years, but initially as an additional layer on current panels to generate more energy with existing solutions,” he estimates.
In addition to developing next-generation solar cells, Dhayalan and the PhD students are researching how hydrogen production can be improved. One method also involves using solar energy.
“In this case, sunlight is absorbed by a nanomaterial that can produce hydrogen and oxygen when in contact with water, without using an electrode.”
The hydrogen research is part of Bergen’s initiative, Hyvalue, in which HVL is one of the partners. The method currently works on a lab scale with pure water, but Dhayalan has another goal in mind.
“Seawater! Then a ship can produce hydrogen and run on hydrogen simultaneously. It can be achieved,” Dhayalan says enthusiastically.
Although the laboratory experiments are successful, additional research and development are essential to stabilize and upscale the technology, and the labs have limitations for this purpose. Dhayalan maintains an optimistic outlook but is clear in his message:
“Increased investment in education and research, along with stronger industry collaboration on a national scale, is essential to bringing this technology to life.”
Learn more
Advanced Nanomaterials for Clean Energy and Health Applications (ANCEHA)
Written by: Siri Helena Halvorsen. Photo: Ingvild Constance Festervoll Melien, Siri Helena Halvorsen og Shutterstock