China Aims for Electricity from Space, Perovskite Solar Cells Challenge Expensive Technology

JAKARTA - After dominating the solar panel industry on Earth, China is now directing its ambitions to outer space. Citing a report by Yicai Global, Friday, June 12, a number of Chinese photovoltaic giants have begun to push the development of space-based solar power plants with lighter and cheaper perovskite solar cells.

Photovoltaics is a technology that converts sunlight into electricity. Perovskite is a new generation of solar cell materials that are considered lightweight, flexible, and less expensive than a number of old technologies.

This step was seen when Trina Solar and Golden Concord Holdings or GCL Group formed a Space Energy Development Alliance. They partnered with aerospace companies and research institutions. The alliance was announced at the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai.

For China, this project is part of the ambition to build solar power from orbit. Energy is harvested in space, then used for satellites, spacecraft, and in a later stage can potentially be sent back to Earth.

GCL is moving more concretely. Its subsidiary, Kunshan GCL Optoelectronic Material, together with Ziwei Network Technology, plans to launch its own "computing satellite" by the end of this year.

The satellite will use a perovskite GCL solar panel, a solid-state energy storage system, and Chinese-made GPUs. Solid-state refers to a solid-state energy storage technology. GPUs are graphics processing chips that are also widely used for heavy computing.

The satellite will be tested in Earth orbit for one year. The goal is to prove a complete system, from electricity generation, energy storage, to power consumption.

On paper, space solar power is tempting. Solar panels in orbit are not disturbed by night, clouds, rain, or pollution. Solar exposure is more stable and its energy density is higher than that of solar power plants on land.

According to a report by Yicai Global citing Central China Securities, space solar power can theoretically generate eight to 15 times more energy than systems on Earth. The global market is estimated to reach 56.9 billion yuan or about US$8.3 billion this year.

With more and more low-orbit satellite constellations, this market is projected to approach 1.1 trillion yuan or about US$162.3 billion by 2035. Low orbit is the orbit region of satellites that are relatively close to Earth and are widely used for satellite communication networks.

Until now, the space sector has relied heavily on gallium arsenide or GaAs solar cells. This technology is strong, efficient, and resistant to extreme conditions, so it is commonly used on satellites. The problem: it costs a lot.

Tian Qingyong, General Manager of GCL Optoelectronics, quoted Yicai Global, said that the unpackaged gallium arsenide space solar cell costs about 300 yuan or US$44 per watt. If it becomes a complete panel system, the cost can reach 500 yuan per watt. Per square meter, the value is around 100,000 yuan or US$14,750.

This is where perovskite comes in. According to Huajin Securities, perovskite cells can cut costs by as much as a tenth of traditional technology. The weight can also be reduced by half and the shape is more flexible.

For terrestrial use, the production cost of perovskite cells is around 0.50 yuan or 7 US cents per watt. The challenge for the space version still exists, especially on radiation-resistant coating glass. However, Tian said there is still a large room to reduce costs if the radiation resistance of the material can be improved.

The development of technology is also fast. On June 3, GCL announced that the conversion efficiency of a certified 2,042-square-centimeter perovskite-silicon tandem module cell reached 30.2 percent. This is the first time that the module has penetrated 30 percent.

In January, a single-junction perovskite solar cell made by SolaEon Technology recorded an efficiency of 27.8 percent, a world record for its category.

This step marks China's solar industry's efforts to expand the application of perovskite technology to the space sector.