Collaborative Research: SusCHEM: Environmental Sustainability of Lead Perovskite Solar Cells

CBET-1705606 PI：Fthenakis，Vasilis在过去五年中，铅基有机金属卤化物钙钛矿太阳能电池的效率得到了前所未有的提高，目前已超过22%，与几十年来开发的最好的薄膜器件技术不相上下。记录设备的效率、丰富的组成元素以及低成本加工的潜力使人们对这项技术产生了极大的热情，并有望迅速商业化。然而，使用剧毒铅的必要性引起了人们的担忧。目前，工业界、学术界和政府内部的观点从断言任何铅的使用都是不可接受的，到相信铅的强度将很小，风险将微乎其微。鉴于这种二分法，本项目的主要目标是：(1)评估卤化铅钙钛矿光伏电池(PV)的环境可持续性，以及(2)应用这种评估来为未来与钙钛矿型PV相关的研究、开发和制造方法提供信息和指导。数据驱动的方法集中在具有实际工业意义的材料和加工方法的铅基钙钛矿型PV的环境可持续性和生命周期评估(LCA)。将在铅钙钛矿太阳能电池的整个生命周期中对其环境影响进行评估，包括材料提取、光伏组件制造、组件部署和操作以及寿命结束回收。LCA将主要关注与碳和铅强度相关的指标，包括温室气体排放、能源回收时间和重金属排放。具体目标包括：(1)用与工业相关的材料和加工方法开发卤化铅钙钛矿光伏的生命周期清单，从而使光伏具有高效率、长使用寿命、制造速度快和成本低的特点；(2)评估各种钙钛矿光伏器件设计和制造路线的生命周期评估结果，以确定实现商业化的最环保的路径；(3)对钙钛矿光伏的重金属和碳强度进行量化，并与其他光伏技术如含铅焊料和发射铅的化石燃料生命周期等进行比较。基于卤化铅钙钛矿的高效、低成本太阳能电池如果能够以环境可持续的方式制造、运营和退役，就有可能改变美国和全球的能源组合，并提高能源安全。该项目有可能影响光伏制造业的未来，为工业界、政策制定者和学术界提供必要的见解，以选择哪些铅基太阳能电池的生命周期在环境上是可持续的。研究将被整合到德雷克斯和哥伦比亚大学的多门课程和高级设计项目中。通过在贫困率超过50%的西费城承诺区扩大青少年太阳能冲刺计划，外展将扩展到服务不足的K-12学生。

CBET - 1705606 PI: Fthenakis, Vasilis The last five years have seen an unprecedented rise in the efficiencies of lead-based organometal halide perovskite solar cells, which now exceed 22% and match the best thin film device technologies that have been developed over several decades. The record device efficiencies, earth-abundant constituent elements, and potential for low-cost processing have led to great enthusiasm for this technology and hopes of rapid commercialization. However, the necessity of using acutely toxic lead has caused concern. Current opinion within industry, academia and government ranges from the assertion that any use of lead is unacceptable to the belief that the lead intensity will be small and the risks minimal. Given this dichotomy, the primary objectives of this project are: (1) to assess the environmental sustainability of lead halide perovskite photovoltaics (PVs), and (2) to apply this assessment to inform and direct future research, development, and manufacturing approaches related to perovskite PVs.The data-driven approach to be employed centers on environmental sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) of lead-based perovskite PVs with materials and processing methods of real industrial relevance. Environmental impacts of lead perovskite solar cells will be assessed throughout their life cycle, including extraction of materials, manufacturing of PV modules, deployment and operation of modules, and end-of-life recycling. LCA will focus primarily on metrics related to carbon and lead intensity, including greenhouse gas emissions, energy payback time, and heavy metal emissions. Specific aims include: (1) Developing a life cycle inventory for lead halide perovskite PVs with materials and processing methods that are industrially relevant, enabling PVs with high efficiency, long operational lifetimes, highrate manufacturing, and low cost; (2) Evaluating LCA results for a variety of perovskite PV device designs and manufacturing routes to identify the most environmentally sustainable pathways to commercialization; (3) Quantifying heavy metal and carbon intensity for perovskite PVs and comparing to other PV technologies such as CdTe and Si with and without lead-based solder and to lead-emitting fossil-fuel life cycles. Efficient, low-cost solar cells based upon lead halide perovskites have the potential to transform the US and global energy portfolio and improve energy security if they can be manufactured, operated, and retired in an environmentally sustainable manner. This project has the potential to impact the future of PV manufacturing by providing industry, policy-makers, and academia with insights necessary to choose which, if any, lead-based solar cell life cycles are environmentally sustainable. Research will be integrated into multiple courses and senior design projects at Drexel and Columbia. Outreach will extend to underserved K-12 students through expansion of the Junior Solar Sprint program in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone, where the poverty rate is over 50%.