Design and performance evaluation of lead-free inorganic perovskite solar cells for addressing Nigeria's energy crisis.

Nigeria, the most populous nation in Sub-Saharan Africa with over 200 million people, faces a critical energy deficit, with approximately 45% of its population lacking access to electricity. To achieve energy sustainability, the country requires 160 GW of electricity. However, reliance on crude oil and natural-gas-fired power plants, which are often unavailable, has led to frequent energy crises. Despite this, Nigeria possesses vast untapped Renewable Energy (RE) resources, particularly solar radiation, with potential varying from 3.393 to 6.669 kWh/m2/day across its six geopolitical zones. While solar energy could significantly enhance Nigeria’s energy mix, its high initial cost poses a challenge to widespread adoption in developing economies. This research investigates the use of environmentally friendly, non-toxic, lead-free inorganic perovskite called potassium germinate chloride (KGeCl3) solar cells as a cost-effective and stable alternative to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges. Using finite element modelling in COMSOL Multiphysics, the study designs and evaluates the performance of a 3D inorganic Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) and crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The proposed PSC structure, comprising FTO/C60/KGeCl3/PEDOT: PSS/Au, achieved a power conversion efficiency of 21.1%, with an output current density of 35.01 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.77 V, and a Fill Factor (FF) of 0.7642. For crystalline silicon, varying the absorber layer thickness influenced the power conversion efficiency, which reached 25% at 300 K with an open-circuit voltage of 0.64 V and a short-circuit current density range of 18–36.2 mA/cm2. The findings demonstrate the potential of KGeCl3 solar cells to enhance charge carrier mobility, reduce recombination losses, and offer high thermal and humidity stability. These results provide valuable insights for the feasible fabrication and design of high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells, offering a pathway to addressing Nigeria’s energy crisis.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Robert Gordon University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Lawal, Sani Mohammed

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• N. Fough, F. Muhammad-Sukki and N. Sellami

• Energy deficit
• Solar energy
• Photovoltaic energy
• Inorganic perovskite
• Potassium germinate chloride
• Power conversion efficiency
• Crystalline silicon
• Nigeria

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2989000
https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2989000

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2989000