Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have made a major breakthrough in solar energy technology.
They have developed a way to recycle perovskite solar cells using only water.
This means the entire solar cell can be reused multiple times without using toxic chemicals, making solar power even greener!
As the world moves toward renewable energy, the demand for electricity is growing rapidly. Solar energy is one of the best ways to produce clean power.
Traditional silicon solar panels have been used for over 30 years, but they are now reaching the end of their lifespan.
The problem?
There is no good way to recycle them, so they often end up as electronic waste in landfills.
“Right now, there’s no efficient way to deal with old silicon panels, and they are piling up in waste sites,” says Xun Xiao, a researcher at Linköping University.
A greener alternative: Perovskite solar cells
Perovskite solar cells are an exciting new technology.
They are cheaper, lighter, and more flexible than silicon panels. Plus, they can be placed on different surfaces, including windows. They can convert up to 25% of sunlight into electricity, which is as good as some silicon panels.
But there is one challenge—perovskite solar cells don’t last as long as silicon panels. That’s why it’s so important to have a safe and efficient way to recycle them.
Until now, recycling perovskite solar cells required harmful chemicals, such as dimethylformamide (DMF), which is toxic and bad for the environment. But the team at Linköping University has found a cleaner solution—water!
“With our method, we can reuse all parts of the solar cell, including the glass, electrodes, and the perovskite layer itself,” explains researcher Niansheng Xu. The best part? The recycled solar cell works just as well as the original one.
Since perovskite solar cells contain a small amount of lead, it is especially important to have a safe recycling process. This new method ensures that lead and other materials are properly recovered instead of being released into the environment.
The researchers are now working on scaling up this recycling process so it can be used in industries worldwide. If successful, this breakthrough could help make solar power even more sustainable.
“Before we bring new solar technologies to the market, we must think about how to recycle them,” says Professor Feng Gao. “This new method could be an important step toward a greener future.”
With this innovation, solar energy could become a fully circular system—where old panels don’t become waste but are instead turned into new ones, again and again. This is a major win for both clean energy and the environment!
Source: Linköping University.
