Ricoh begins building production system for inkjet-printed perovskite solar cells
Ricoh has started setting up a production system for thin, lightweight next-generation solar cells using inkjet technology.
Ricoh announced that it has started building a production system for perovskite solar cells that use inkjet technology, aiming for mass production. The move marks a full-scale step toward preparing for mass production, but the announcement did not disclose figures such as production capacity or investment amounts.
Perovskite solar cells are solar cells that use a material with a crystal structure called perovskite in their power-generating layer. They are thin, lightweight and bendable. Conventional silicon-based panels are heavy and rigid, which limits where they can be installed. The characteristics of perovskite cells are expected to enable installation on roofs and walls of buildings with low load-bearing capacity, and on curved structures.
A key manufacturing challenge is applying the material evenly in a uniform thickness across a substrate and producing large areas efficiently. Inkjet technology is a printing method that turns ink into fine droplets and ejects them precisely onto the desired locations. Because material is deposited only where needed, it is considered easier to reduce waste and well suited to large areas.
The initiative aims to incorporate this printing technology into the mass-production process and set it up as a production line. Moving from prototypes at the research stage to stably producing large volumes of products of the same quality requires process control and improved yield. Building the production system is a foundation for that transition.
Competition in solar cell manufacturing is intense both in Japan and abroad, and balancing performance, durability and production cost is a challenge. At the mass-production stage, how cheaply products can be made while keeping quality variation per panel low will determine the success of the business.
Perovskite solar cells are being studied with methods that do not require many high-temperature processes, and they have been pointed out as a possible route to energy-saving manufacturing. However, this is knowledge from the research stage, and whether it applies directly to mass-produced products needs to be confirmed in the future.
Key points to watch going forward include the start date of mass production, production scale, product performance and durability, and the intended uses and sales destinations. The announcement did not specify a timeline or scale, and follow-up reports are awaited.
The spread of solar cells is considered one means of reducing reliance on fossil fuels for electricity and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. If new types of power generation that can be installed in building materials and everyday locations increase, they are expected to expand the places where renewable energy can be introduced.
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The announcement signals a shift of perovskite solar cells from the research stage to the mass-production stage. Its distinguishing feature is the attempt to bring an inkjet method, close to printing, into production, with the aims of improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing material waste. It could extend power generation to places where conventional panels have been hard to install, such as building walls and curved surfaces, and so expand the options for introducing renewable energy. However, the timing and scale of mass production, as well as performance and durability, remain unclear. Checking production capacity and product quality in future reports will be key to interpreting the move.
Source: ZDNET Japan
This article was written by the editors based on the cited report and translated from Japanese. AI is used to assist in writing and translation.
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