Japan boosts investment in ultra-thin, bendable solar panels

Japan is ramping up investment in a new generation of solar cells: ultra-thin, flexible, bendable perovskite panels.

The technology is expected to play a key role in efforts to realize the country's decarbonization and renewable energy development goals.

Perovskite panels are highly adaptable to mountainous terrain, which accounts for 70% of Japan’s land area, where there is a shortage of flat land for traditional solar farms. Furthermore, iodine, a key ingredient in these batteries, is the second-largest producer in the world , after Chile.

With the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and reducing reliance on Chinese solar technology, Japan's Ministry of Economy , Trade and Industry (METI) has touted perovskite batteries as “the best bet to achieve both decarbonization and industrial competitiveness,” stressing that “it is necessary to succeed in commercializing them.”

The Japanese government is offering a series of major incentives to spur domestic industry to develop perovskite batteries, including a subsidy of up to 157 billion yen (equivalent to 1 billion USD) for Sekisui Chemical, a plastics manufacturer, to build a perovskite battery factory capable of supplying 100 megawatts by 2027, equivalent to the electricity needs of 30,000 households.

Japan’s long-term vision is to install enough perovskite cells to generate 20 gigawatts of electricity by 2040 – equivalent to the output of about 20 nuclear reactors – making renewable energy the main source of energy, meeting 50% of the country’s electricity needs. Of this, solar energy alone (including perovskite and silicon cells) will account for about 29% of the total electricity supply, up sharply from 9.8% in 2023.

Several pioneering projects in Japan have already begun to apply this technology. Among them is a 46-story building in Tokyo scheduled to be completed in 2028 and a dome stadium in Fukuoka that is planning to install perovskite cells.

However, mass production of perovskite batteries remains a challenge. Their efficiency is currently lower than that of their silicon counterparts and their lifespan is only about 10 years, compared to 30 years for conventional batteries. Furthermore, the toxic lead content in the products requires special disposal measures after their expiry date.

However, with new technologies advancing rapidly, some perovskite battery prototypes are now approaching the performance of silicon batteries and their lifespans are expected to soon reach 20 years./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nhat-ban-day-manh-dau-tu-loai-pin-mat-troi-sieu-mong-co-the-uon-cong-post1050695.vnp