Google Cloud partners up to utilise perovskite within IoT

Saule Technologies and Columbus Energy have partnered with Google Cloud to develop new products using perovskite solar cells and solutions in the field of distributed energy and IoT (Internet of Things).

The partnership agreement has been signed with Google Cloud between Saule Technologies, developer of solar cells based on perovskite materials, and Columbus energy, a Poland-based company engaged in the renewable energy equipment and services industry.

Google Cloud will become a strategic partner of both companies, providing cloud computing services and technologies.

The partnership comes as the global IoT market develops rapidly, predicted to reach $1.1 billion by 2025.

The concept behind IoT – connecting a variety of often small and highly-specialised electronic devices in a network so that they can generate and send information to each other – requires extensive power.

According to Saule, the lack of power has greatly limited their potential applications to date.

The partnership between Saule, Google Cloud and Columbus energy will see the perovskite solar cells, which are lightweight, thin, flexible and perform well in artificial light, potentially resolve such power requirements.

The first product using this technology is already in manufacturing. Perovskite Electronic Shelf Labels (PESL), powered by a perovskite cell, allows multiple price updates during the day, controlled via wireless and using the analytic and computing potential of Google Cloud.

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These advantages are hoped to make these cells the perfect energy source for IoT devices regardless of power grid availability.

Magdalena Dziewguć, country director Google Cloud in Poland, stated, “We are very happy to cooperate with Saule Technologies and Columbus Energy…and support them 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.

“Green energy transition using digital technologies is also one of our key priorities as a company. 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.”

Columbus Energy, Saule Technologies and Google Cloud will also cooperate in developing distributed energy solutions.

The parties hope that this partnership will accelerate the energy transition and digital transformation to benefit all, but primarily the most digitally-excluded communities or those with difficulties in accessing green energy sources.

According to Saule, in the future perovskite cells could be used to power sensors monitoring forests and other fire-prone areas or to extend the range of drones supplying medicines or food to remote areas.