(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (Qeeri), a Qatar Foundation ( QF) national research body, has discovered the chemical secrets of a new material that could harvest solar energy far more economical.
The research, conducted in tandem with Amber, a research centre funded by Science Foundation Ireland and jointly hosted by Ireland's Trinity College Dublin and the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, has looked specifically at a newly-discovered material called perovskite.
Crystal-like in form, perovskite is a cheaper and potentially more effective alternative to silicon.
The latest research suggests that perovskite cells are now capable of efficiencies greater than 20%, a milestone which took silicon several decades to achieve.
It is predicted that perovskite cells can soon overtake silicon cells in their efficiency levels.
However, due to perovskite's natural instability, the material must be held in an inert atmosphere, exposed to almost no oxygen, low humidity levels and no temperature variations.
Qeeri and Amber's research has revealed important secrets about how the mineral functions and operates.
Researchers discovered how the inorganic crystals inside perovskite are able to alter in structure following exposure to sunlight, allowing them to trap energy internally. This finding will help the scientific community's understanding of perovskite and bolster global research efforts to address the mineral's innate stability issue.
The research was done by using advanced computer modelling and simulation tools. This breakthrough is expected to contribute to QF's mission of building Qatar's innovation and technology capacity, ensuring the sustainable development of energy.
According to scientific experts, the natural power of the sun supplies Qatar with the annual equivalent of 1.5mn barrels of oil per sq km.
Dr Sabre Kais, director of the Theory, Modelling, and Simulation Group, Qeeri, said: "About two years ago, we started weekly seminars to discuss and understand the properties of this class of materials. The discovery happened as Dr Fadwa El-Mellouhi, Dr Nouar Tabet, and Dr Fahhad Alharbi, from Qeeri and Dr Carlo Motta, from Amber, presented and analysed the results of their study during one of our seminars."
Dr Mohamed Khaleel, Qeeri's executive director, said: "Without steps to secure additional sustainable energy sources, and to reduce consumption, the economy and the environment will be adversely affected within the next few years. For this reason we are continuing to focus our efforts on harnessing the power of the sun € Qatar's most abundant natural resource € as we develop new energy solutions for this country and the region."
Amber's Prof Sanvito, said: "Harvesting an enormous amount of energy in an efficient and cost-effective way would mean abundant green energy for the entire human race. Now that we understand how these new materials work, we can design new compounds to use for solar energy harvesting at cheaper costs than silicon solar cells. A further advantage is that the materials can be grown chemically without expensive high-temperature processes."
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