Indoor Solar Power Could Replace Disposable Batteries And Charger Cables With Photovoltaic Strips

"Indoor solar power" sounds like a contradiction, but it may be coming to a gadget near you.

Advances in photovoltaics, the conversion of light to electricity, mean everyday low-energy devices from keyboards to cameras can be powered by indoor light.

This month the Australian start-up Halocell will begin producing flexible 7 centimetre-long photovoltaic strips it says generate enough power to replace the pair of disposable batteries in a TV remote, or the charger cable for a set of headphones.

It represents the first large-scale manufacturing in Australia of a technology that's long been touted as the future of solar and a "holy grail" of ultra-cheap energy.

A new class of solar cells made out of a family of materials called perovskites has the potential to be more efficient, lower cost, and perform better in dim indoor light than conventional silicon cells.

But making the cells durable enough to sell has been a long and difficult road for researchers. After years of work, the first commercial perovskite cells are now emerging, designed for niche markets like satellites and consumer electronics.

The Halocell modules will each cost less than a dollar to make and the Wagga Wagga-based company has ambitious plans to produce millions per year, its CEO Paul Moonie said. 

Last month two small Australian-made satellites were launched into low-Earth orbit, partly to test the performance of perovskite solar cells developed by the University of Sydney.

Anita Ho-Baillie, a professor of nanoscience who led the team that built the cells, said there was excitement about perovskite solar's potential, and, despite set backs, a growing sense of optimism.

"Have we solved all the problems? I would say not. Are people still excited? Definitely."

Read more at https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-09-11/indoor-solar-power-could-replace-batteries-and-charger-cables/104301316