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The used materials and processes are directly ready for industrial application.
A Dutch company has developed the ‘world’s first’ perovskite solar roof tile. Despite its curved shape, the solar roof tile module achieves an energy efficiency of 12.4%.
Developed by researchers at TNO, the innovative material is the world’s first electrically functioning solar roof tile concept based on flexible perovskite solar cells.’
TNO claims that this is an important step towards better integrating solar energy into the built environment, creating more room for sustainable electricity generation without additional pressure on land or infrastructure.
“This allows roofs and infrastructure to generate sustainable electricity without compromising on design or aesthetics,” said Roland Valckenborg, Senior Project Manager at TNO Solar.
“This makes it an important step in the further development of solar energy in the built environment.”
The perovskite solar module on flexible foil has been applied in collaboration with ASAT B.V. to a curved composite roof tile. Measurements show that bending the module onto the roof tile has only a limited effect on its performance. The individual modules achieved an energy efficiency of up to 13.8%. After installation on a curved roof tile, 12.4% efficiency was retained, according to a press release.
The company also claimed that by better integrating solar energy into buildings, more space is created for sustainable electricity generation without additional strain on landscape or infrastructure.
TNO also highlighted that the breakthrough is important because the used materials and processes are directly ready for industrial application: they operate under normal conditions and are suitable for large-scale roll-to-roll production of flexible solar foils.
This research line enables both customized solutions and large‑scale application of flexible solar foils. TNO has completed the full development pathway: from small test cells in the laboratory, to flexible modules measuring 10 by 10 centimeters, and ultimately to a perovskite solar roof tile that can be directly applied in practice, as per the release.
“In Brabant, we are working on solutions to the social challenges of today and tomorrow. Thanks to the collaboration within the Solar innovation coalition and the bright minds at TNO, solar cell roof tiles are the next step in the energy transition,” said Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, deputy Economy at the Province of North-Brabant.
“We aim to improve solar energy, make it more affordable and more available, while laying the foundation for increased production in Europe.”
TNO also revealed that it will continue in the coming period to improve the lifetime, reliability and scalability of the technology. This lays the foundation for a next phase in which flexible perovskite solar modules can find their way into commercial applications. On 11 March, TNO established the spin‑out Perovion Technologies to help with the realisation of this commercialization, as per the release.
Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.
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