Hyundai Motor and Kia's 'Solar Roof' Empowered by UNIST Researchers!

UNIST Holds Agreement and Plaque Ceremony for 'Hyundai Motor Group-UNIST Joint Research Lab'

Conceptual diagram of a power generation system for automobiles using perovskite solar cells.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Duyul] UNIST’s perovskite solar cell technology is taking on the challenge of developing a ‘solar-powered vehicle’ to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

On the 10th at 2 p.m., UNIST and Hyundai Motor Group held a ceremony for the ‘Hyundai Motor Group-UNIST Next-Generation Solar Cell Joint Research Lab for Mobility’ agreement and plaque delivery in the large conference room on the 6th floor of the university headquarters, marking the start of their joint research.

The joint research lab will operate for three years from June until May 2025.

Hyundai Motor and Kia have launched a ‘solar roof’ that generates and charges solar power using the car roof, which is applied to some vehicles.

The solar roof contains solar cell panels that can charge the battery when the vehicle is left under the sun. The technology allows charging while driving and emits no carbon dioxide, drawing attention as an eco-friendly automotive technology.

For the solar roof to become more widespread, improvements in weight and efficiency are necessary.

Currently, the most commonly used silicon solar cells are highly safe and inexpensive but are heavy and have reached a technical limit with a maximum efficiency of 26%.

To address these issues, the joint research lab is challenging the core technology of creating a ‘high-efficiency large-area perovskite-silicon tandem device’ suitable for automotive solar cells.

Professor Sang-Il Seok, Distinguished Professor of Energy Chemical Engineering at UNIST, said, “For solar cells used in mobility, being lightweight and having high efficiency per unit area is very important,” adding, “We will produce a ‘perovskite-silicon tandem device’ that stacks perovskite and silicon, which absorb different wavelength bands of sunlight, and challenge the world’s highest efficiency.”

To achieve the research goals, the joint research lab plans to maximize and optimize each component technology, including perovskite bandgap control, large-area coating method development, and charge transport material development.

Jong-Soo Lee, Head of Hyundai Motor Company’s Advanced Technology Center, said, “To achieve carbon emission zero by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles must be reduced by 24% by 2030 compared to now,” adding, “We will utilize UNIST’s advanced technology to enhance the ‘solar roof’ technology and contribute to carbon neutrality in the automotive sector.”

UNIST holds the world’s highest efficiency of 25.7% for perovskite single-junction solar cells, and under the leadership of Distinguished Professor Sang-Il Seok, Professor Kyung-Jin Choi, and Professor Chang-Deok Yang, is currently conducting the Alchemist project aiming for 35% efficiency.

UNIST President Yong-Hoon Lee said, “Through the joint research lab project with Hyundai Motor Group, I hope to achieve good results in solar cells for mobility and develop solar cell technology that can be applied broadly to vehicles, ships, buildings, and other fields.”

The event was attended by UNIST President Yong-Hoon Lee, Dean of Engineering College Sung-Yeop Kim, Head of Energy Chemical Engineering Department Hyun-Gon Song, Professors Sang-Il Seok, Kyung-Jin Choi, Chang-Deok Yang, Kwan-Yong Seo, and Research Professor Yong-Hee Lee of the Energy Chemical Engineering Department.

From Hyundai Motor Group, Jong-Soo Lee, Head of Hyundai Motor Company’s Advanced Technology Center; Jeong-Hoon Oh, CEO of Hyundai NGV; Soon-Chan Park, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Company; Jong-Guk Lee, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Company; Ki-Hwan Oh, Team Leader of Hyundai NGV; and Senior Researchers Jun-Bae Kim and Byung-Hong Lee of Hyundai Motor Company, as well as Manager Guk-Jin Jang of Hyundai NGV, attended.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.