Bullet train (Shinkansen) operator Central Japan Railway and Sekisui Chemical have concluded a joint development contract to develop soundproof walls equipped with perovskite solar cells and have now developed a prototype. The two companies will conduct demonstration testing at JR Central’s Komaki Research Center and other locations toward practical application.
Solar cells installed on the soundproof walls need to be lightweight so that the foundations of the barriers, which support their weight, do not become too large. They also must be able to withstand conditions such as vibration and wind pressure caused by passing trains. The two companies thus turned their attention to thin, lightweight, flexible film-type perovskite solar cells and began considering their application to soundproof walls.・Since soundproof walls have a long lifespan, the prototype soundproof walls equipped with perovskite solar cells were developed so that the cells can be easily removed and replaced for maintenance (patent pending).
Sekisui Chemical has created a 30 cm-wide roll-to-roll manufacturing process utilizing its original “sealing, film formation, materials and process technology,” and have confirmed 10 years equivalent of outdoor durability, which was previously considered difficult to attain.
The two companies have decided to work together to develop technology for the introduction of perovskite solar cells with a focus on the soundproof walls installed along the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which receive plenty of sunlight. The introduction of solar cells in locations where it is difficult to install conventional solar cells will enable the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources over a wider area.
Further, Sekisui Chemical recently announced an investment worth around $570 million to start rolling out perovskite solar cells on a 100 MW line from 2027 onward. The company plans to take over the buildings as well as power supply, cooling, and other facilities of the main factory of electronics company Sharp in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, and install perovskite solar cell manufacturing facilities to carry out manufacture and sales.This is part of its plans to enter into GW-level production by 2030, with an eye toward overseas expansion.
Perovskite cells are characterized by their high efficiency, with tandem cell efficiency reaching up to 34.6%. Leading-edge TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) technology, meanwhile, can reach an efficiency of about 26.6%. Heterojunction (HJT) technology has attained a maximum efficiency of over 27%.
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