Scientists in the UK have developed a thin-film perovskite material (based on calcium titanate) capable of harnessing sunlight at a higher efficiency rate.

According to the University of Oxford, this new material (with independent certification) can offer energy efficiency in excess of 27%. This is close to the upper limits of mainstream solar panel technology in 2024, exceeding the average efficiency of modern solar arrays.

Applied to everyday items as a coating, the ultra-thin material (nearly 150x thinner than a silicon wafer) could potentially enhance the world’s solar capacity greatly.

The material’s versatility could also reduce the need for large solar farms which often prove contentious points with local communities. The innovative nature of this power-producing coating may allow it to be applied to cars, mobile phones, and even rucksacks.

This material involves creating a single solar cell featuring various stacked light-absorbing layers into a single solar cell.

Professor Henry Snaith leads the PV technology research team at the Physics Department of the Oxford University.

Following five years of experimentation, the Oxford University scientists have increased the efficiency of this material from 6% to 27%.

Doctoral Fellow at Oxford University Physics Doctor Shuaifeng Hu believes this technology could reach efficiency levels of more than 45%.