The emerging role of perovskite in solar energy technology is gaining significant attention due to its potential to transform photovoltaic systems. This material, which is both more efficient and cost-effective than traditional silicon, can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including windows, facades, vehicles, and even satellites.
The rise of solar energy in recent years has been driven by planet-wide efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, alongside factors such as cost and accessibility. Advances in technology and new materials, particularly the development of perovskite, are at the forefront of this movement. Discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1839 by Gustav Rose, perovskite is named after the Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski. Modern references to perovskite typically denote synthetic materials that mimic its crystal structure and can be produced in laboratory settings using readily available components like bromine, chlorine, lead, and tin.
Perovskite”s significance arises from its application in the fourth generation of solar cells. This evolution follows earlier generations that utilized crystalline silicon, selenium, and other materials. In 2009, researchers at the University of Tokyo first explored perovskite as a light-absorbing material, achieving a solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 3.8%. Remarkably, efficiency has now soared to 25.5% within just over a decade, while silicon-only cells average around 22% efficiency. Professor Eva Ma Barea Berzosa from Universitat Jaume I highlighted that perovskite”s advancements have occurred in a fraction of the time it took silicon to achieve similar progress, with significant improvements in stability against moisture and oxygen.
The primary advantage of perovskite lies in its exceptional optoelectronic properties, which allow it to convert a broader range of the light spectrum into energy. The material”s high electron mobility contributes to this capability. Key benefits of perovskite include:
- High Efficiency: It captures a larger portion of the light spectrum for electricity generation.
- Material Accessibility: Perovskites can be produced through simpler chemical processes using more abundant materials compared to silicon.
- Cost-effective Production: The manufacturing process is generally cheaper and requires less energy than solar-grade silicon.
- Versatility: These lightweight, ultra-thin, semi-transparent, and flexible cells can be applied to uneven surfaces, windows, electric vehicle roofs, and low-cost satellite designs.
Combining perovskite with silicon appears to yield even greater efficiencies. This hybrid approach harnesses the strengths of both materials in solar energy absorption. Current flexible cells have achieved efficiencies of 26.7%, with researchers theorizing potential efficiencies up to 33%. The perovskite-silicon tandem can theoretically exceed 47% efficiency. Each material effectively captures different wavelengths of light, with silicon primarily utilizing red and infrared light, while perovskite excels with blue and green wavelengths. This synergy allows for almost complete harnessing of solar radiation.
The IMDEA Nanociencia Institute, a private non-profit foundation within the Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies network, has highlighted perovskite”s advantages in a recent study published in Advanced Materials. A team from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China achieved an impressive efficiency of 28.8% with a perovskite-only tandem in 2024.
Utilizing this innovative combination could reduce electricity costs by approximately 10% compared to standard silicon panels, according to Oxford PV, a startup emerging from the University of Oxford. This is due to the greater energy output per square meter. Furthermore, perovskite offers geopolitical advantages, as silicon production is largely dominated by China, while perovskite can be manufactured from a diverse range of materials.
However, perovskite technology faces challenges, particularly in terms of durability, as early iterations were prone to rapid degradation when exposed to moisture, oxygen, and high temperatures. Additionally, these materials contain small amounts of lead, a toxic heavy metal, raising environmental concerns. Consistency in production processes remains another hurdle to overcome.
