Scientists from Pakistan and Korea have collaborated to create a promising solar cell technology that, in the lab, breaks two new records. The strategy may encourage clean energy development to address the global warming problem. This innovative solar cell technology was developed by a team of Pakistani scientists under the direction of Dr. SeJin Ahn, lead researcher at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER).
Copper Indium Sulphide (CISSe) solar cells have been formed and developed by Yasir Siddique, a PhD student at KIER and the University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea.
The narrow bandgap, stable solution-processed CISSe device performs flawlessly as a single cell, but it can also be placed between two different thin-film solar cell materials with a suitable bandgap as the top cell, replicating the recently developed Perovskite solar cell technology.
The bandgap measures the energy required for removing an electron from a semiconductor; the lower the bandgap, the more electricity is generated. The most recent invention by Siddique took three years to create, but once it was combined with perovskite, the CISSe-only cell's efficiency increased to 14.4% and reached a peak of 23.03%. In the category of solution-processed (perovskite/CISSe) solar cells, this has the greatest efficiency.
Siddique's record-breaking solar cell efficiency has been recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation-Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC-MRA), which was signed by the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS), the Photovoltaic Test Laboratory at KIER, and the ISO/IEC17025 Certified Test Centre. The papers published in the world's top academic journal "Energy and Environmental Science" have an impact factor of 38.532, and the patent will shortly be submitted.
“We successfully eradicated the need for Nitrogen and carved the cell in an open [ambient] air environment. The CISSe based thin film was made possible due to the addition of N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) based molecular ink which has the ability to make highly stable complexes with Thiourea and metal chlorides,” Siddique added.
Later, the KIER team laid out a method to regulate and get an ideal degree of crystallization of the precursor layer by using air annealing temperature, a standard heating and cooling technique used in electronics, in addition to removing carbon contents from the cell's absorber film. For the required outcomes, perfect crystallization is absolutely necessary.
Solar panels' long-term stability is another crucial aspect. For instance, a conventional silicon-based cell has a 20–30 year lifespan under all weather conditions. The stability of the KIER's cell is encouraging as well. “We have analysed our new record holder solar cell for the past one year and it is working on the same efficiency perfectly,” Siddique also said.
During his budget speech, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar pointed out the value of the IT sector to Pakistan's future success. As the government understands the industry's potential as a driver of economic growth, it has made significant steps to reduce the obstacles faced by freelancers and the industry as a whole. Pakistan is presently the world leader in freelancing, ranking second in the globe. In order to encourage exports and facilitate corporate operations, the government has adopted a 0.25% concessional income tax rate for freelancers. This favorable tax status will be in effect until June 30, 2026. Additionally, freelancers now have access to export refunds of up to $24,000 per year, as well as exemption from sales tax registration. This approach aims to free up freelancers' time for productive work by lowering the burden of monthly tax filing. In addition, a one-page income tax return designed specifically for this group has been devised. To assist their growth, the government has given IT and IT-enabled service companies the right to import software and hardware up to 1% of their exports without paying any taxes. The annual limit on these imports has been set at $50,000. The issuance of Automated Exemption Certificates for IT exporters would provide a hassle-free experience, significantly streamlining the system. According to the Finance Minister, the sales tax rate for IT services in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry will be reduced from 15% to 5%. This strategy aims to stimulate development and attract further money.
Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, stated that the microblogging site will soon begin paying verified creators of content for advertisements displayed in their replies. Musk stated on Twitter that the first payment block of roughly $5 million has been set aside for this reason. "X/Twitter will begin paying creators for ads served in their replies in a few weeks." The first block payment is $5 million. "Please keep in mind that the creator must be verified, and only ads served to verified users count," the billionaire tweeted. The news comes as Linda Yaccarino, an advertising veteran from NBCUniversal, takes over as CEO of Twitter amid advertiser concerns about ad placement.
