【電気代は下がりますか】百田尚樹の直球に「耐久性二十年というのがもう技術的には確立できました」国産ペロブスカイト太陽電池を作った本人の国会答弁、レベルが違った【森田健晴/積水ソーラーフィルム】

"If this perovskite solar cell becomes widespread, will electricity prices go down?" -- This is a summary of the parliamentary questioning session in the House of Councillors where Kenji Morita, a director at Sekisui Solar Film, which developed the next-generation "film-type perovskite solar cell," answered questions from lawmakers. When asked about electricity prices by Naoki Hyakuta, a member of the Conservative Party of Japan, Morita replied, "I believe there is ample potential to lower conventional electricity prices," and added, "We have already technically established a 20-year lifespan." (Mr. Hyakuta expressed a cautious view, saying, "I don't think electricity prices will go down unless they drop dramatically.") To Tatsuo Ito, a member of the Democratic Party for the People, he explained that the cost of power generation includes not only the price of the solar cell itself, but also maintenance, disposal, and distribution, pointing out the heavy cost of installation, saying, "It's like the scaffolding costs more than the solar cell itself." The statement explained that the conversion efficiency had "almost caught up with, or even surpassed, the highest efficiency of conventional silicon solar cells," that the main raw material, iodine, was "said to be the world's second largest producer and the world's largest reserve," and that most of it was mined in Chiba, that "if durability doubles, power generation costs will be halved," and that the weakness of degradation occurring the next day in the initial stages of development had been overcome with sealing technology, resulting in a situation where "film-type solar cells are currently unrivaled." Questions from Komeito's Shinji Takeuchi, Nippon Ishin no Kai's Akemi Matsuno, Sanseito's Shota Goto, and Constitutional Democratic Party's Ryo Koriyama were answered in detail, covering topics such as resistance to heat, use at airports, lead safety, an all-Japan strategy, and even the mass production line in China (recorded: April 15, 2026, House of Councillors Committee on Resources, Energy and Sustainable Society). -- Glossary -- ◆ Perovskite solar cell: A next-generation solar cell that uses a material with a crystalline structure called perovskite. This technology, said to originate in Japan, has achieved a conversion efficiency of 27% at the research paper level, up from 3-4% around 2009. ◆ Film type: A type that Sekisui Chemical specializes in. Its thickness is 1/10 to 1/20th that of silicon solar cells, and its weight is less than 1/10th. Because it is thin, light, and flexible, it can be applied to gymnasium roofs and building walls. ◆ Iodine: The main raw material for perovskite solar cells. Japan is the world's second-largest producer and has the world's largest reserves, most of which are mined in Chiba Prefecture. Since the raw materials can be sourced domestically, there are fewer security concerns. ◆ Sealing technology: A technology that protects the power generation layer, which is vulnerable to moisture, by encasing it in resin. Initially, it deteriorated the next day, but Sekisui Chemical overcame this by applying technology cultivated in liquid crystal displays, paving the way for continuous production. ◆ Power generation cost: The cost of producing 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity. This figure includes not only the price of the solar cell itself, but also maintenance, disposal, and distribution costs. The government aims for a reduction to 10-14 yen by 2040. -- Table of Contents (Timestamps) -- 0:00 Digest 0:24 Opening 1:22 [Question] Representative Naoki Hyakuta: "Will electricity prices go down?" 2:09 Isn't the lifespan short? 20-year durability is already technically established. 2:56 [Question] Representative Tatsuo Ito: How low can the power generation cost be reduced? 5:12 Power generation cost is not the price of the solar cells. 6:08 Scaffolding costs more than solar cells. 7:08 [Statement of Opinion] Japanese-developed technology: Conversion efficiency almost catches up with silicon. 8:28 Iodine, the main raw material, has the world's largest reserves; most of it is mined in Chiba. 10:06 If durability doubles, power generation costs will be halved. 10:28 Overcoming the weakness of degradation the next day: "Unrivaled." 11:41 [Question] Representative Shinji Takeuchi: How about in hot and cold places? 13:49 Perovskite, which is less susceptible to power generation drops in summer heat 15:30 Film-type solar panels can withstand tires and can be placed around airports 16:23 An idea for snowy regions: generating electricity on walls to melt snow on roofs 17:00 [Q&A] Representative Akemi Matsuno: How thin can it be made? The power generation layer is 1 micron 19:52 Will lead leach out? Even if it's cut up or burned, the amount won't be problematic 22:24 [Q&A] Representative Shota Goto: To avoid repeating the mistakes of silicon 23:10 Domestic companies are leading the way in film-type solar panels 26:02 Domestic manufacturers ar...