A cheaper way to make solar cells

Scientists have found a new, cheaper and easier way to manufacture solar cells, which could challenge the domination of silicon. An alternative material called Perovskite is more efficient and adaptable than previous thought, scientists said. “The challenge to developing efficient and cheap commercially available solar panels has, until now, been dominated by silicon, with emerging alternative solar cells considered minor players,” said Lin Leong from Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore. Perovskite is relatively easy to process, and therefore cheaper to manufacture, but also has an efficiency of 22%, close to silicon cells 25%.