The Japanese company Canon has developed a protective material, the coating of which can increase the service life of flexible solar cells to 20–30 years, Nikkei reports. It is intended to use the new material to shield perovskite’s light-collecting layer, which is ruined by heat and moisture. It is anticipated that a coating with a thickness of 100–200 nanometers will require less upkeep and repair.
Perovskite solar cells are thinner, more flexible, and more versatile than their traditional counterparts. Japan sees them as key to its energy security given its limited space for solar farms and dependence on China for the production of traditional products for solar power plants.
Mass production is scheduled to begin in 2025 at the Canon Group plant in Fukui Prefecture. By 2030, sales are predicted to reach billions of yen (1 billion yen is equivalent to around 6.3 million dollars).
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In addition, the Eneos Holdings refinery will boost its output of iodine, which is required for perovskite solar cells.
Canon and Eneos plan to supply products to companies such as Sekisui Chemical, Toshiba, and Panasonic, which produce perovskite cells and modules. About 2026, JGC Holdings intends to install the cells in factories and warehouses to begin producing electricity using them.
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Japan initially had a technological advantage in the field of conventional solar cells but lost to China in their commercialization. As Chinese players now turn their attention to perovskite, the Japanese government is trying to bolster the country’s industrial base with this flexible technology.
The government will spend about 64.8 billion yen from the Green Innovation Fund to help commercialize perovskite cells, with the goal of putting them into operation by 2030. The government’s proposed new law on economic and fiscal policy also includes support for talent, supply chains, and pertinent research.
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