As renewable energy becomes a geopolitical tool, Japan looks to recover its technological edge
China’s near-monopoly on the solar-energy market has prompted the U.S. and allies to step up the search for workarounds. Engineers believe they have found one in a type of solar cell that looks and feels like camera film.
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Invented by Japanese scientist Tsutomu Miyasaka, the cells use minerals forming a crystal structure called perovskite, which can be used in a device to turn the sun’s rays into electricity.
A key element in manufacturing perovskite is iodine. While hardly a resources powerhouse, Japan happens to be the world’s second-largest producer of iodine after Chile, accounting for around a third of global production.
“Look at what China is doing with semiconductors. That’s bullying,” said Miyasaka, referring to Beijing’s export restrictions on the rare elements gallium and germanium used in chips. “With perovskite cells, the components can be made domestically.”
“We’ll have the durability and cost solved in two years” has been in news about this for what? Five to ten years now?
That’s not to say it won’t get there, but I don’t know enough to be able to tell the difference, honestly. You’d think half your appliances would be coated on this stuff by now, even if it’s a bit more expensive. At least specialty applications would suggest some industrial readiness.