Benefits of Using Kesterite Materials in Solar Panels
1. Environmental Friendliness and Sustainability
Kesterite is composed of earth-abundant, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly elements—copper, zinc, tin, and sulfur or selenium. Unlike some other photovoltaic materials, it avoids the use of rare or toxic elements such as cadmium or lead, making it a greener choice for solar technology.
2. Cost-effectiveness
The elements used to make kesterite are abundantly available and inexpensive compared to other solar materials like indium or gallium used in CIGS cells. This cheap raw material cost translates into lower manufacturing costs, which could make solar panels more affordable at scale. Kesterite can also be synthesized at low cost via simple processes combining these abundant elements.
3. Long-term Stability
Kesterite solar cells maintain their photovoltaic performance over extended periods, indicating good long-term stability. This durability is beneficial for reliable, low-maintenance solar power generation systems.
4. Suitable Bandgap and High Absorption
Kesterite materials have an optimal, tunable direct bandgap typically in the range 1.0 to 1.5 eV, which is ideal for efficient sunlight absorption and conversion. Their high absorption coefficient allows effective harvesting of solar photons with relatively thin absorber layers, making them suitable for thin-film solar cell technologies.
5. Promising Photovoltaic Efficiency
Recent advancements have pushed kesterite solar cells to achieve record efficiencies, with researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) achieving up to 13.2% efficiency through hydrogen passivation techniques. This is significant progress for kesterite, signaling its potential to compete with silicon and perovskite solar technologies. Other methods like selenization have also improved efficiency to above 12% in some studies.
6. Potential for Tandem Solar Cells
Kesterite’s high bandgap makes it well suited for tandem solar cell structures where it can be combined with silicon to boost overall photovoltaic efficiency beyond what single-junction cells can achieve.
In summary, kesterite materials offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional solar materials with promising efficiency and stability, making them strong candidates for next-generation and sustainable solar panels.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-using-kesterite-materials-in-solar-panels/
