Towards solar panels that work on the seabed

From roofs, greenhouses, and buildings to the seabed is shorter than it seems: an all-Italian study, the result of a collaboration between two institutes of the National Research Council, the Institute of the Structure of Matter in Rome and the Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes in Messina, together with the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the company BeDimensional of Genoa, has demonstrated that next-generation perovskite solar panels work well even underwater , in some cases even better than when exposed to air. The result, which paves the way for innovative energy technologies , is published in the journal Energy & Environmental Materials. "This pioneering work not only shows that perovskites can operate even in humid conditions ," says Jessica Barrichello of ISM-CNR, who coordinated the research, "but also opens up new possibilities for the sustainable use of underwater space , which is increasingly being used in activities such as marine agriculture , wine aging , and other innovative applications." Below 50 meters of depth, only blue-green light can penetrate effectively , and perovskite solar cells have proven particularly well-suited to exploiting it . The test results were surprising: when immersed in the first few centimeters of water, these panels produce more energy than when exposed to air. "This is thanks to the optical characteristics of water and its cooling effect , which improves the efficiency of the device," says Barrichello. "Furthermore, thanks to encapsulation with an adhesive developed by the company BeDimensional, after 10 days of immersion in salt water, the solar cells released minimal amounts of lead, well below the limits set for drinking water."