Earth911 Podcast: Caelux CEO Scott Graybeal on the U.S. Perovskite Solar Panel Supply Chain

Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, sits down to talk about perovskites-based nanotechnology that can improve the performance of silicon solar panels to produce 30% more power from the sun at a 10% lower cost than traditional panels. Caelux recently closed an additional $12 million in funding to build a manufacturing facility that will produce up to 100 MW of generation capacity. The $370 billion Inflation Reduction Act has reportedly been followed by between $213 and $511 billion in private investment, with hundreds of new solar, battery, and other cleantech facilities launched last year. It’s a remarkable time to be in green technology because, as Scott explains, the U.S. has embraced an industrial vision and invested in making it happen for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration.

Silicon-based solar panels have made tremendous progress since they came to public attention when the Carter Administration first installed them on the roof of the White House. The cost of electricity they generate has fallen by 99% as silicon solar panels achieved 20% efficiency. Perovskite, a calcium titanium oxide-based nanomaterial, can convert up to 30% of the sun’s light into electricity, and recent research suggests they could become two-and-a-half times more efficient in the next few years.

You can learn more about Caelux at https://caelux.com/