Perovskite-based solar batteries without recharging

Chinese company Hunan Yanhe Technology, which specializes in developing and manufacturing solar-powered consumer devices, has recently announced the attraction of approximately 100 million yuan in Series A1 funding. The investment came from Guoke Investment and Huixin Investment and will be directed toward expanding the production base in Changde, upgrading key perovskite battery technologies, and expanding the company's global presence. Yanhe Technology, a company long monitored by 36 (KrASIA), specializes in the production and development of consumer perovskite solar batteries and related equipment.

The company has already fulfilled orders valued at approximately 100 million yuan, and its products are used in supply chains of over 100 brands in more than 50 countries and regions, including Lenovo, Lumi, Signify, and Dreame. At CES 2026, Yanhe Technology, together with its partners, presented a range of products utilizing solar energy technology, including e-ink tablets, photo frames, smart glasses, cameras, and doorbells. The key feature of these products is the use of perovskite solar batteries, which are distinguished by high light-to-energy conversion efficiency, flexibility, lightness, and the ability to generate energy in low-light conditions.

This allows devices to charge indoors, effectively realizing the concept of "where there is light, there is energy," while seamlessly integrating into product design, maintaining a minimalist appearance, reducing maintenance costs, and decreasing environmental impact from battery disposal. An example is the e-ink photo frame jointly developed by Yanhe Technology and Jin Yatai. This product uses perovskite solar cells and a low-power E-ink display, color E-ink display, and an integrated solar energy module positioned on the side.

The device requires no charging or battery replacement, providing extended operation without maintenance. Yanhe Technology CEO Feng Fan noted that while direct sunlight on a clear day has an intensity of approximately 100,000 lux, a typical room has illumination of about 200 lux. Most Yanhe Technology products (with minimum startup illumination of less than 20 lux) can effectively charge at 200 lux illumination without requiring additional lighting.

Regarding operating time, Yanhe Technology uses 4-5 hours of energy generation in a room with weak illumination as the standard for energy storage. The energy collected during this time is stored in a capacitor or lithium battery, enabling low-power consumer electronics such as smart wearables and portable IoT terminals to operate continuously 24/7, providing a precise balance between energy generation efficiency, storage capacity, and battery life requirements. "Traditional remote controls, smart doorbells, e-ink photo frames, and so on require connection to wires, outlets, or battery replacement every six months or a year.

Now you don't need to worry about frequent battery replacement; as long as there is light, there will be electricity," summarizes Feng Fan. Beyond "no charging," achieving a "seamless experience" also requires realizing an organic integration of battery material and product. This requires perovskite batteries to be customizable in any shape and even undergo deformations such as perforation and U-shaped bends.

Feng Fan noted that this is also an advantage of Yanhe Technology's flexible production line. Specifically, the company can provide clients with larger perovskite batteries, allowing products to utilize the effective area more extensively. For example, the typical battery material size for a smart door lock is 100 square centimeters, but taking into account the holes and U-shaped dimensions of the door lock, it can be increased to 200 square centimeters, achieving a breakthrough in total effective area.

Furthermore, besides standard rectangular sizes, Yanhe Technology can supply perovskite batteries with circular holes, U-shaped bends, and other sizes, further integrating them into clients' product design systems, ensuring organic integration and enhancing overall product aesthetics. The environmental sustainability of Yanhe Technology's perovskite solar batteries was also an important highlight at CES. Feng Fan shared: "Many international friends care greatly about environmental factors.

Traditional remote controls might require over ten AA batteries over five to six years of use, and there is risk of liquid leakage during prolonged storage. With our help, they can truly achieve a state of maintenance-free operation; as long as there is light, they can generate energy." Yanhe Technology's goal is for the total cost of perovskite photovoltaic modules + power management chips + energy storage modules to match the cost of 6 AA batteries.

Currently, this goal is 80% achieved, and the company expects to reach the final target cost structure this year. By participating in CES, Yanhe Technology also identified market opportunities in equipment for environmental monitoring, fire alarms, and other public facility equipment based on audience and customer feedback, and signed trial production orders with corresponding clients to further expand the application scenarios of perovskite batteries.