Power Roll, a UK developer of lightweight perovskite PV technologies, has launched outdoor trials to test the performance of its 600 mm x 400 mm modules. The trials are taking place on site at the company's headquarters in northeastern England.
“Currently, our solar panels are undergoing outdoor testing with a new ink formulation, which is critically important for our flexible panels as it directly impacts printability, performance, and scalability,” Power Roll CEO Neil Spann told pv magazine.
He said that the size of the modules is currently limited by the pilot line encapsulation equipment, and that the final modules are expected to be significantly larger, in the 1 square meter to 10 square meter range.
Once optimized the expected energy yield is at least 100 W per square meter, with current demonstration panels at around 50% of this, according to Spann.
Power Roll has a novel back-contact indium-free perovskite solar technology based on a flexible, lightweight PET substrate, which is embossed with tiny sub-2 μm channels or micro-grooves. It recently participated in a UK research project that used slot-die coating methods to make micro-modules with a power conversion efficiency of up to 12.8%.
The company's commercialization approach is described as a “dual strategy,” manufacturing products in the United Kingdom and licensing the technology internationally to drive growth.
“With Power Roll now in the pilot-scale manufacturing phase and beginning to generate early-stage licensing revenues, we are optimistic about our contribution to global CO₂ reduction targets and improved energy access,” said Spann.
Spann noted that Power Roll is profiled in the recently published UK Solar Roadmap, from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, due to the proven science, global patent portfolio, and domestic manufacturing plans.
The Power Roll field study is one of several ongoing outdoor projects announced in the past year as perovskite solar cell technologies advance towards commercialization. Most recently, German scientists completed four years of outdoor testing to assess factors affecting cell stability, as reported by pv magazine.
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