Perovskite solar panels outperform traditional crystalline silicon solar panels significantly in indoor lighting conditions, making them highly promising for indoor energy harvesting applications such as powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Performance Comparison in Indoor Lighting
- Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE):
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have demonstrated indoor PCE values as high as 42% under LED illumination at 1,000 lux, according to recent reports using self-assembled monolayers to improve perovskite quality and interface properties. Other studies report efficiencies above 35% under similar indoor lighting conditions (e.g., 35.99% at 1,000 lux cool-white LED), and around 32-34% efficiency for triple-cation perovskite cells optimized for indoor use. - Energy Yield:
Over a full year of indoor use, perovskite solar cells showed a three-to-one advantage in energy yield compared to crystalline silicon solar cells, producing approximately 148.8 mWh/cm² versus 46.0 mWh/cm² for silicon under indoor conditions. This reflects a much greater ability to convert diffuse indoor light into usable electricity. - Stability:
PSCs retain most of their initial performance over extended indoor exposure. For example, triple-cation perovskite cells maintained stable efficiency for over a month of continuous indoor illumination with minimal degradation, and good operational stability was also confirmed over a 12-month monitoring period. - Light Spectrum and Bandgap Tuning:
Perovskite solar cells can be tailored in composition to optimize their bandgap (~1.6 to 1.77 eV), allowing better spectral matching to indoor LED light sources compared to silicon cells. Warm LED light conditions particularly enhance their efficiency; the highest efficiencies are observed under warm white LED lighting. - Powering IoT Devices:
Due to their high efficiency and good indoor performance, a small area (~1 cm²) of perovskite solar cells can power typical low-power IoT devices under normal indoor ambient light on most days of the year. This reduces or eliminates the need for frequent battery changes in these devices, though some energy storage is still recommended for days with very low light availability.
Summary Table of Indoor Performance
| Feature | Perovskite Solar Cells (PSC) | Traditional Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor Power Conversion Efficiency | Up to ~42% under 1000 lux LED light | Around 13-15% typical, much lower indoors |
| Annual Indoor Energy Yield | ~148.8 mWh/cm² | ~46.0 mWh/cm² |
| Stability | Good stability over months under indoor light | Generally stable but lower efficiency indoors |
| Optimal Bandgap | Tunable 1.6–1.77 eV for LED spectral match | Fixed ~1.1 eV, less optimal for indoor LED light |
| Practical Application | Suitable for powering IoT/small devices indoors | Limited use indoors due to low efficiency |
Conclusion
Perovskite solar panels exhibit substantially higher efficiency and energy yield under indoor lighting compared to traditional silicon solar panels. Their ability to be chemically tuned for better spectral matching and their demonstrated stability under indoor conditions make them highly suitable for indoor photovoltaic applications, particularly for powering low-power electronics like IoT devices.
This superior indoor performance is driving rapid research and development efforts aiming for even higher efficiencies and commercial deployment in indoor energy harvesting scenarios.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-perovskite-solar-panels-compare-to-traditional-solar-panels-in-indoor-lighting-conditions/
