In a rapidly changing climate, the need for clean energy solutions, such as solar, has never been greater. Traditional silicon solar cells, while cost-effective, have limitations in power conversion efficiency. More efficient solar cells and panels will expedite the global transition to net-zero while improving the circular economy and further reducing material and energy consumption. This will require significant advances in renewable energy technologies.
Prof. Ho-Baillie’s research focuses on multi-junction solar cells, which offer higher efficiency than traditional single-junction silicon cells. Solar cells convert solar energy into electricity using semiconductors. While silicon is the semiconductor material being used in the current solar technology, perovskites have emerged as a promising alternative for multi-junction solar cells. By stacking perovskite on top of silicon, her team have developed tandem solar cells that achieve 30% power conversion efficiency, independently certified. At the time of reporting, hers was one of the eight labs in the world to achieve this, and the first in Australia. “There isn’t much room for silicon to improve because its theoretical limit is only 30% – but for perovskite–silicon tandem, it is 40%” said Prof. Ho-Baillie. Another of her materials, a perovskite–CIGS tandem solar cell on a flexible steel substrate, achieved a world record-breaking efficiency of 18.1% in March 2024.
Her team uses a range of electron microscopy techniques, from elemental mapping to atomic-scale imaging, to understand the structure and composition of the solar cells. This understanding enables improvements in their performance and stability, including the breakthrough in perovskite cells passing industry-standard tests against heat and moisture in 2020. The work she led was published in the journal Science. Her team regularly accesses our University of Sydney facility, Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis, and were previously a major users of our UNSW facility, the Electron Microscope Unit.
Recognised by Clarivate as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers for five years running, Prof. Ho-Baillie’s innovations in solar technology are paving the way for a cleaner, greener world. She is currently collaborating with SunDrive, a Sydney-based company, with the aim of commercialising perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells. Her work directly supports Australia’s net-zero emissions targets by providing cost-effective and efficient clean energy solutions.
September 20, 2024
