Clean Energy Development: AI Will Help Create New Materials for Solar Cells

The above information was presented at the seminar "Materials for a sustainable future" held during the Science and Technology Week of VinFuture 2024 Foundation on the morning of December 4 in Hanoi.

Professor Martin Green, Founding Director of the Center for Advanced Photovoltaics at the University of New South Wales (Australia), Member of the VinFuture Prize Council, said that the technology used in manufacturing solar cells has changed a lot in the past decade. The efficiency of panels has increased from 16% to 21.6%. Solar cell manufacturing technologies are developing rapidly with 4 main types: Topcon, HJT, IBC, Perc.

According to him, silicon solar cells are a reliable, popular, and efficient base material. Over the past decade, the price of solar cells has dropped sharply, from $1/W in 2009 to $0.10/W today. The efficiency of solar panels has also increased from 16% to 21.6%, thanks to the application of advanced technologies such as TOPcon, HJT, IBC, and PERC.

“As global energy demand reaches 1 terawatt (TW) next year, silicon will continue to play a key role thanks to its ability to deliver low-cost manufacturing,” he said, adding that while silicon is a superior material, to achieve higher performance, it is necessary to find ways to combine it with other materials.

Stacking layers of materials like perovskite could boost efficiency from 30% to 40%, according to Professor Green. However, the combined material must meet the requirements: be readily available, non-toxic, and compatible with silicon.

He predicted that the development of new materials for solar cells is a key factor in promoting large-scale solar energy applications, contributing to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and moving towards a clean energy future. "The third energy revolution could be the solar revolution, with new materials capable of converting solar energy into electricity with unprecedented high efficiency and low cost," he said.

Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend, University of Cambridge, UK, recommends switching from silver to more common metals such as copper in solar cell production. This helps reduce dependence on precious metals and ensure a stable source.

The expert cited a university in Hong Kong (China) that applied AI to help cut down the time in the process of computer simulation of materials, arranging different layers on silicon, providing very time-saving research directions, creating shortcuts in materials research. "I support the role of AI in research," he said.

The future of solar energy lies not only in improving materials but also in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. AI simulates, screens material products and optimizes manufacturing processes, saving time and costs.

Professor Marina Freitag, a researcher at the Royal Society (URF) at Newcastle University (UK), said that when developing new materials, they are adaptable but they also change over time.

She suggests combining perovskite, a promising material with comparable performance to silicon and good recyclability. Combining perovskite with silicon not only reduces the amount of silicon needed by up to 80%, but also increases production efficiency and significantly reduces CO2 emissions and the amount of agricultural land needed for solar panels.

Agreeing with the opinions of the experts, Professor Nguyen Thuc Quyen, University of California, USA, also noted that AI needs to go hand in hand with considerations of energy use and data centers. Standardizing data and improving the quality of information input are also essential for AI to be effective.

Ha Cuong

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