Chinese researchers have developed a new kind of solar cell that works well up to 10 meters underwater. Using a modified perovskite cell resistant to water corrosion, the underwater panels convert a sizeable amount of the limited light into electricity, raising the potential for future underwater devices and systems that would otherwise require power from more conventional, less localized sources.
Traditional solar panels are very ineffective underwater. The attenuation effect of water on sunlight means that the further down you go, the less solar energy there is to capture. However, this international team of researchers found that using wide-bandgap lead halide perovskite solar cells tuned to the underwater light spectrum could dramatically improve efficiency.
In lab testing under ideal conditions, researchers achieved up to 35% efficiency, even when submerged under 10 meters of water. The light that can actually be captured at that depth is extremely limited, but 35% is greater efficiency than most land-based solar systems, making it far more effective than previously thought possible under such conditions.
They then took the panels out to the South China Sea and mounted them on a small submersible designed to reach prescribed depths. Testing them at 2, 6, and 10 meters, they found the panels effective at producing small electrical currents, though at 10 meters, they were only able to generate a quarter of the power possible at 2 meters.
Another major challenge of producing solar power underwater is damage to the solar cells. Saltwater is especially corrosive, but researchers modified the perovskite cells to be more resistant and coated them with a water-repellent layer, which helps keep moisture from contacting the cells directly. They estimate that with these measures in place, such panels could last up to five years before significantly degrading.
This kind of underwater power generation could enable future untethered underwater robots for exploration and topography mapping, new underwater lighting systems, ocean-static communication buoys, or even help extend the range of small-scale drone submarines.
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