| Project Detail |
Perovskite solar cells holding promise for solar space
The surge in satellite launches and in-orbit activities calls for breakthroughs in cost-effective solar energy harvesting technologies for space deployment. The EU-funded JUMP INTO SPACE project aims to create high-efficiency, lightweight, flexible solar cells using advanced all-perovskite tandem solar cells. These new solar cells will help achieve 30 % efficiency and exceed current technological limits. Researchers will seek to create a unique photonic substrate that enhances light capture, provides protection from space conditions, and is stable against radiation and atomic oxygen. These solar cells will be tested for high power output and stability in in low-orbit conditions. The technology promises to transform space solar power, supporting various spacecraft and potentially providing continuous energy to Earth from space.
The exponential growth of satellite launches and, in general, of in-orbit activities calls for technological breakthroughs in cost-effective solar energy harvesting technologies for Space deployment.
JUMP INTO SPACE envisions a high-efficient, lightweight and flexible, stable and sustainable alternative to currently available photovoltaic systems for in-space energy harvesting, via an unexplored synergetic coupling of groundbreaking concepts.
All-perovskite tandem solar cells, based on advanced contact materials and finely tuned perovskite absorbers, will be developed to ensure high efficiency (30% at AM0 targeted here, but capable of overcoming the single-junction Shockley–Queisser limit). The devices will be endowed with a pioneering, lightweight and flexible, multi-purpose photonic substrate, designed and optimized to embody the dual function of environment shielding and light management boost, while being remarkably stable against high-energy radiation and atomic oxygen erosion. The optimized all-perovskite tandem solar cells will be manufactured on the multi-purpose photonic substrates and thoroughly tested to deliver unprecedentedly high specific power and prove their stability for Space operation in low-orbit conditions.
JUMP INTO SPACE all-perovskite tandem cells on innovative multi-purpose photonic flexible substrates will be game-changers for the next generation of Space Solar Power, e.g. allowing lightweight stowing in rollable platforms, for powering novel propulsion apparatus for in-space mobility and a wide range of spacecrafts and applications e.g. systems for active debris removal, micro- and cube-sats. They could also be deployed in Space-Based Solar Power plants and, through novel, properly designed transmission technologies, power various in-space applications, such as Moon or Mars human bases, or even provide Earth with continuous energy from space. |
