{"title":"Balancing colour and efficiency","authors":"Natalie Lok Kwan Li","doi":"10.1038/s41560-025-01829-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Perovskite solar cells show great promise for building-integrated photovoltaics applications owing to colour tunability, high performance under low-light conditions, and semi-transparency. In particular, the energy yield in real-world installations can be enhanced using a bifacial architecture with semi-transparent rear and front electrodes to harvest light from both sides. The colour appearance can be achieved through optical interference between the two Fabry–Pérot cavities within device structure, that is, the rear electrode and the charge transport/perovskite layers. However, the trade-off between power conversion efficiency and colour characteristics limits their real-world deployment. Now, Hairen Tan and colleagues at Nanjing University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Renshine Solar Co. achieve colour tunability and a high efficiency in a bifacial solar cell by modulating the optical response on the rear-side electrode with a metallic interlayer and suppressing detrimental defects in the perovskite layer.</p><p>To improve the colour appearance, the researchers introduce an ultrathin silver metal layer with high reflectivity at the tin oxide/indium zinc oxide interface of the rear electrode. The enhanced reflectivity strengthens the optical interference of the cavity, resulting in higher colour purity and an expanded colour gamut. To improve the device efficiency, Tan and team suppress defects in the perovskite bulk with an ammonium chloride additive. They achieve a power conversion efficiency of 27.4% under albedo conditions of 0.2 sun irradiation intensity. To demonstrate the aesthetic appeal of the solar cells for building integration, the researchers replicate van Gogh’s painting <i>The Starry Night</i> with solar modules arranged in a mosaic pattern. These results extend the potential of perovskite photovoltaics for aesthetically pleasing and high-performance energy solutions for urban environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"707 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":60.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nature Energy","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01829-2","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells show great promise for building-integrated photovoltaics applications owing to colour tunability, high performance under low-light conditions, and semi-transparency. In particular, the energy yield in real-world installations can be enhanced using a bifacial architecture with semi-transparent rear and front electrodes to harvest light from both sides. The colour appearance can be achieved through optical interference between the two Fabry–Pérot cavities within device structure, that is, the rear electrode and the charge transport/perovskite layers. However, the trade-off between power conversion efficiency and colour characteristics limits their real-world deployment. Now, Hairen Tan and colleagues at Nanjing University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Renshine Solar Co. achieve colour tunability and a high efficiency in a bifacial solar cell by modulating the optical response on the rear-side electrode with a metallic interlayer and suppressing detrimental defects in the perovskite layer.
To improve the colour appearance, the researchers introduce an ultrathin silver metal layer with high reflectivity at the tin oxide/indium zinc oxide interface of the rear electrode. The enhanced reflectivity strengthens the optical interference of the cavity, resulting in higher colour purity and an expanded colour gamut. To improve the device efficiency, Tan and team suppress defects in the perovskite bulk with an ammonium chloride additive. They achieve a power conversion efficiency of 27.4% under albedo conditions of 0.2 sun irradiation intensity. To demonstrate the aesthetic appeal of the solar cells for building integration, the researchers replicate van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night with solar modules arranged in a mosaic pattern. These results extend the potential of perovskite photovoltaics for aesthetically pleasing and high-performance energy solutions for urban environments.
Nature EnergyEnergy-Energy Engineering and Power Technology
CiteScore
75.10
自引率
1.10%
发文量
193
期刊介绍:
Nature Energy is a monthly, online-only journal committed to showcasing the most impactful research on energy, covering everything from its generation and distribution to the societal implications of energy technologies and policies.
With a focus on exploring all facets of the ongoing energy discourse, Nature Energy delves into topics such as energy generation, storage, distribution, management, and the societal impacts of energy technologies and policies. Emphasizing studies that push the boundaries of knowledge and contribute to the development of next-generation solutions, the journal serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas among stakeholders at the forefront of the energy sector.
Maintaining the hallmark standards of the Nature brand, Nature Energy boasts a dedicated team of professional editors, a rigorous peer-review process, meticulous copy-editing and production, rapid publication times, and editorial independence.
In addition to original research articles, Nature Energy also publishes a range of content types, including Comments, Perspectives, Reviews, News & Views, Features, and Correspondence, covering a diverse array of disciplines relevant to the field of energy.