Perovskite-based PV manufacturer Saule Technologies is partnering with Google Cloud and renewables company Columbus Energy to advance its technology.
Google Cloud will become a strategic partner of both Polish companies, providing cloud computing services and technologies, as they plan to cooperate on Internet of Things (IoT) products and the development of distributed energy solutions.
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Saule Technologies has created lightweight and thin perovskite solar cells that it said perform well in artificial light, making them suitable for a range of IoT devices “in virtually all conditions, regardless of power grid availability”. The company recently achieved a 25.5% cell efficiency for IoT applications.
“The difficulty of providing IoT solutions with an independent power source was the main obstacle for the expansion of IoT devices, but our perovskite cells are here to solve the problem,” said Saule Technologies CEO Artur Kupczunas.
Saule has started manufacturing perovskite electronic shelf labels, which it claims are cheaper than traditional electronic shelf labels found in supermarkets and shops. The innovation, controlled via Google Cloud, allows label messages to be changed remotely, facilitating the sale of products approaching expiration dates, for example.
Having previously launched sun blinds made using perovskite solar cells, Saule said perovskite cells could be used in the future for applications such as power sensors monitoring forests and other fire-prone areas or to extend the range of drones supplying medicine or food to remote areas.
Saule Technologies, Google Cloud and Columbus Energy will also cooperate in the development of distributed energy solutions as part of the strategic agreement between the companies.
Magdalena Dziewguć, country director of Google Cloud in Poland, said the company is happy to support Saule and Columbus in developing products “that may revolutionise a number of areas of our economy and our lives, including with the use of the tools available in the cloud”.
She added: “Not only did we pledge to completely switch to zero-carbon energy by 2030, but we also want to partner with others to create solutions that will help them achieve these targets.”
In March, Saule, Columbus Energy and Somfy, a manufacturer of building automation systems, revealed plans to commercialise new products based on perovskite cells.