Today, the Internet of Things (IoT) brings greater personalization and convenience to the devices that make managing our homes easier. This technology often results in tangled cables or batteries that need to be replaced regularly.
A solution to this problem could be to use solar panel technology in homes to power these smart devices. In a recent study, researchers revealed the most efficient photovoltaic (PV) systems among cool white LEDs, a common type of indoor lighting.
The difference between indoor lighting and sunlight
It is important to note that indoor lighting is different from sunlight. Light bulbs are dimmer than the sun and sunlight includes ultraviolet, infrared and visible rays, while indoor lights typically emit light from a narrower range of the spectrum.
Scientists have found ways to harness the sun’s energy using PV solar panels. However, these modules are not optimized for converting indoor light into electrical energy.
New generation PV materials
Some next-generation PV materials, including perovskite minerals and organic films, have been tested with indoor light, but it is not clear which are most effective at converting non-natural light into electricity.
Many studies use different types of indoor lights to test PVs made of different materials. Therefore, Uli cube and his colleagues compared different PV technologies with the same indoor lighting.
The results of the study
The researchers obtained eight types of PV devices, from traditional amorphous silicon to thin-film technologies such as dye-sensitized solar cells. They measured each material’s ability to convert light into electricity, first under simulated sunlight and then under cool white LED light.
Gallium indium phosphide PV cells showed the highest efficiency under indoor light. converts almost 40% of light energy into electricity.
As the researchers expected, the performance of the gallium-containing material under sunlight was modest compared to other materials tested due to its large band gap. A material called crystalline silicon showed the best effectiveness in sunlight but was average in indoor light.
Gallium indium phosphide has not previously been used in commercially available PV cells, but this study shows its potential beyond solar energy, the researchers say.
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However, they add that gallium-containing materials are expensive and may not be a viable mass-market product for powering smart home systems. In contrast, PV cells made from perovskite minerals and organic films are more cost-effective and do not present stability issues under indoor lighting conditions.
Additionally, researchers in the study found that some of the light energy generated indoors generates heat rather than electricity – information that will help optimize future PV systems to power indoor devices.
For better understanding
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the connection of devices or systems via the Internet that enables the exchange and collection of data. This includes everything from WiFi-connected home security systems to smart toilets.
What is Solar Panel Technology?
Solar panel technology uses photovoltaic (PV) systems to convert sunlight into electricity. These systems are typically used outdoors, but researchers have begun using them indoors to power smart devices.
Indoor light is generally weaker than sunlight and comes from a narrower range of the spectrum. For example, cool white LEDs, a common type of indoor lighting, do not emit ultraviolet or infrared light like the sun.
What are the new generation PV materials?
Next-generation PV materials include perovskite minerals and organic films. These materials have been tested with indoor light, but it is not clear which are most effective at converting unnatural light into electricity.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of PV cells?
Gallium indium phosphide PV cells showed the highest efficiency under indoor lighting, converting almost 40% of light energy into electricity. However, these materials are expensive and may not be suitable for mass production. On the other hand, PV cells made of perovskite minerals and organic films are more cost-effective and do not have stability problems under indoor lighting conditions.
Main lessons
| to teach |
|---|
| The Internet of Things (IoT) brings personalization and convenience to devices that help manage homes. |
| Researchers have introduced solar panel technology indoors to power smart devices. |
| Indoor light is different from sunlight, light bulbs are less bright than the sun. |
| Gallium indium phosphide PV cells showed the highest efficiency under indoor lighting, converting almost 40% of light energy into electricity. |
| Gallium-containing materials are expensive and may not be a viable mass-market product for powering smart home systems. |
| PV cells made from perovskite minerals and organic films are more cost-effective and do not have stability problems under indoor lighting conditions. |
Summary
Photovoltaics (PV) is an attractive candidate to power the growing market for intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as sensors, actuators and wearables. Using solar cells and rechargeable batteries to power IoT devices helps eliminate costly disposable battery replacements and reduce environmental impact. IoT devices are often used indoors under artificial light, which differs from (outdoor) sunlight in that it has a much narrower, mostly visible spectrum, the intensity of which is typically 500 to 1000 times lower. In this work, the performance of state-of-the-art devices from eight different PV technologies (amorphous and crystalline silicon, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, cadmium-telluride, III-V, organic, dye and perovskite) are examined Conditions of identical interior lighting compared. Their performance in low illumination between 100 and 1000 lx is analyzed and the crucial importance of a sufficiently large parallel resistance is highlighted. Absorbent materials with larger band gaps exhibit lower thermalization losses and therefore achieve higher energy conversion efficiencies, consistent with theoretical expectations. The best device, an indium gallium phosphide solar cell with a band gap of 1.89 eV, showed a record efficiency of 39.9% under 500 lx of cool white LED light.
References
The information is based on a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.3c01274
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