A Less Expensive Solar Panel With One Major Drawback

A team of engineers at Cornell University may have just cracked one of solar energy's toughest challenges: making affordable solar panels that can stand up to heat, moisture, and long-term sunlight without breaking down.

Their innovation centers on perovskite, a flexible, crystal-like material that absorbs sunlight exceptionally well. Compared to traditional silicon panels, perovskite is easier and less expensive to manufacture.

But there's been one big drawback, per Tech Xplore: They degrade quickly under heat, moisture, or prolonged sunlight exposure.

That's where Cornell's breakthrough stands out. Researchers developed a solar cell structure that sandwiches a protective 2D perovskite layer over a 3D one, forming a weather-resistant shell.

They used a more stable molecule called formamidinium in the outer layer, which holds up far better than previous materials. To make it work, the engineers relied on lattice matching, a method of aligning the molecular structures of both layers to ensure a snug fit.

The result was a solar panel that survived 50 days of high heat and intense light and retained 95 percent of its performance, per Tech Xplore.

Even better, the panel achieved a 25.3 percent conversion efficiency rate, rivaling some of the most advanced solar tech on the market while keeping costs low.

The research, published in the journal Joule, builds on years of work to overcome the durability issues of perovskite solar cells.

According to Tech Xplore, previous attempts to stabilize these materials often failed because of poor structural compatibility. By focusing on molecular harmony, the Cornell team may have found the key to unlocking real-world use.

"This was really inspiring for me — not just the scientific aspect, but also the technological relevance," said Shripathi Ramakrishnan, the study's lead author and a doctoral candidate at Cornell, per Tech Xplore.

For homeowners, this breakthrough could lead to solar panels that last longer, require fewer repairs, and withstand extreme weather, all of which could translate to significant savings on utility bills.