Swift Solar
Ep. 37 Startup harnesses the power of the sun
Today's solar industry is dominated by silicon solar cells, and those cells are actually really, really good. But they're bumping up against the fundamental limit of how efficient they can be. Swift Solar is building a new class of high-efficiency solar cells using perovskite semiconductors.
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Why We Made this Film
We know that to effectively phase out fossil fuels, we need to optimize different types of renewable energy sources. Today’s solar industry is dominated by silicon solar cells. These silicon solar cells are actually quite good. But they're reaching the fundamental limit of how efficient they can be.
Swift Solar is a startup building a new class of high-efficiency solar cells using perovskite semiconductors.
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of perovskite - we first learned about the mineral material from Joel Jean, Co-Founder of the California-based startup Swift Solar. He describes the mineral material as naturally occurring crystal structures that the company engineers to make solar cells more efficient. Traditional silicon cells push about a 30% efficiency limit. Perovskites raise that ceiling up to over 40% - which is a massive difference in terms of energy consumption. It’s a solution that will help make solar energy shine.