Australian graphene supplier First Graphene has reported a near threefold increase in efficiency and an 80% reduction in production costs for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) through the addition of its functionalized graphene product.
In an announcement, First Graphene stated that by incorporating its PureGraph product, Halocell’s PSC efficiency nearly doubled to 30.6%, while production costs were reduced by 80%. The company attributed this improvement primarily to the compatibility of its graphene formulation with roll-to-roll dispersion technology, which eliminates the need for traditional high-cost conductor materials such as gold and silver in cell production.
First Graphene signed a two-year agreement late last year to supply PureGraph to Wagga Wagga-based Halocell for use as a high-performance coating in its cells, claiming this provides Halocell with a competitive market advantage.
The company noted, “It has been widely observed that cells made with alternative carbon-based materials like graphene outperform traditional silicon cells under low-light and artificial light conditions, including indoor environments.” It added that perovskite solar cells offer lower manufacturing, processing, and energy costs compared to silicon cells, with an energy payback period as short as six weeks, whereas silicon cells typically require about two years.
