The end of U.S. energy dependence? Japan creates a solar super-panel with unimaginable nuclear power output

The world of Japanese solar energy is set to take a huge leap forward with the invention of perovskite solar cells (PSC) technology, which develops an output equivalent to 20 nuclear reactors.

Sekisui Chemical Co., along with the government, is driving the change and a new plan has been prioritised by Ministry of Industry that will see the development of these panels by 2040 to meet their zero-emissions targets set for 2050.

Japan seeks to overtake China

The key to this is iodine: a critical element in the construction of PSCs, and Japan just happens to be the world’s second-largest producer of the chemical element. This crucial fact will see the production chain remain in Japan itself, bolstering their economy, energy security and reliance on foreign imports, with China recently overtaking them as the number 1 solar panel manufacturers.

This leap forward would see Japan move away from the big and awkward silicon solar panels to something much more powerful and compact that could be easily integrated into urban environments.

Such a huge amount of energy released from the small, lightweight technology gives the added bonus of being a bitesized product on a relatively small land mass; PSCs can be installed on walls of buildings and windows, on car roofs, and on streetlights around town and don’t need vast spaces to give back high yields.

There are, of course, a few drawbacks. The durability limit and high upfront costs of the new technology are not the greatest, although as the development continues, prices are expected to drop.

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