Home gadgets and familiar electronic devices may soon be able to do without batteries. A team of researchers at University College London (UCL) has presented next-generation solar cells that work even under ordinary indoor lighting.
The technology is based on perovskite, a rare mineral that captures weak light better than traditional silicon. This opens up possibilities for powering a whole class of devices: keyboards, sensors, alarm systems and many smart home systems.
The new cells convert up to 37.6% of lighting energy into electricity at a brightness level comparable to office lighting (1,000 lux), six times higher than that of silicon-based counterparts. After 100 days of operation, the devices retained 92% of their power.
Thanks to the elimination of microdefects in the perovskite structure and the simplicity of production, the technology is suitable for mass, low-cost manufacturing. In a few years, we may wonder why we ever bought batteries for mice and remote controls at all.
