Perovskite Solar
What are perovskites?
Perovskites refer to a class of materials that share a similar structure, which display a myriad of exciting properties like superconductivity, magnetoresistance and more. These easily synthesized materials are considered the future of solar cells, as their distinctive structure makes them perfect for enabling low-cost, efficient photovoltaics. They are also predicted to play a role in next-gen electric vehicle batteries, sensors, lasers and much more.
How does the PV market look today?
In general, Photovoltaic (PV) technologies can be viewed as divided into two main categories: wafer-based PV (also called 1st generation PVs) and thin-film cell PVs. Traditional crystalline silicon (c-Si) cells (both single crystalline silicon and multi-crystalline silicon) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) cells belong to the wafer-based PVs, with c-Si cells dominating the current PV market (about 90% market share) and GaAs exhibiting the highest efficiency.
Thin-film cells normally absorb light more efficiently than silicon, allowing the use of extremely thin films. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology has been successfully commercialized, with more than 20% cell efficiency and 17.5% module efficiency record and such cells currently hold about 5% of the total market. Other commercial thin-film technologies include hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) cells, taking approximately 2% market share each today. Copper zinc tin sulphide technology has been under R&D for years and will probably require some time until actual commercialization.
What is a perovskite solar cell?
An emerging thin-film PV class is being formed, also called 3rd generation PVs, which refers to PVs using technologies that have the potential to overcome current efficiency and performance limits or are based on novel materials. This 3rd generation of PVs includes DSSC, organic photovoltaic (OPV), quantum dot (QD) PV and perovskite PV.
A perovskite solar cell is a type of solar cell which includes a perovskite structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide-based material, as the light-harvesting active layer. Perovskite materials such as methylammonium lead halides are cheap to produce and relatively simple to manufacture. Perovskites possess intrinsic properties like broad absorption spectrum, fast charge separation, long transport distance of electrons and holes, long carrier separation lifetime, and more, that make them very promising materials for solid-state solar cells.
Perovskite solar cells are, without a doubt, the rising star in the field of photovoltaics. They are causing excitement within the solar power industry with their ability to absorb light across almost all visible wavelengths, exceptional power conversion efficiencies already exceeding 20% in the lab, and relative ease of fabrication. Perovskite solar cells still face several challenge, but much work is put into facing them and some companies, are already talking about commercializing them in the near future.
What are the advantages of Perovskite solar cells?
Put simply, perovskite solar cells aim to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of solar energy. Perovskite PVs indeed hold promise for high efficiencies, as well as low potential material & reduced processing costs. A big advantage perovskite PVs have over conventional solar technology is that they can react to various different wavelengths of light, which lets them convert more of the sunlight that reaches them into electricity.
Moreover, they offer flexibility, semi-transparency, tailored form factors, light-weight and more. Naturally, electronics designers and researchers are certain that such characteristics will open up many more applications for solar cells.
What is holding perovskite PVs back?
Despite its great potential, perovskite solar cell technology is still in the early stages of commercialization compared with other mature solar technologies as there are a number of concerns remaining.
One problem is their overall cost (for several reasons, mainly since currently the most common electrode material in perovskite solar cells is gold), and another is that cheaper perovskite solar cells have a short lifespan. Perovskite PVs also deteriorate rapidly in the presence of moisture and the decay products attack metal electrodes. Heavy encapsulation to protect perovskite can add to the cell cost and weight. Scaling up is another issue - reported high efficiency ratings have been achieved using small cells, which is great for lab testing, but too small to be used in an actual solar panel.
A major issue is toxicity - a substance called PbI is one of the breakdown products of perovskite. This is known to be toxic and there are concerns that it may be carcinogenic (although this is still an unproven point). Also, many perovskite cells use lead, a massive pollutant. Researchers are constantly seeking substitutions, and have already made working cells using tin instead. (with efficiency at only 6%, but improvements will surely follow).
What’s next?
While major challenges indeed exist, perovskite solar cells are still touted as the PV technology of the future, and much development work and research are put into making this a reality. Scientists and companies are working towards increasing efficiency and stability, prolonging lifetime and replacing toxic materials with safer ones. Researchers are also looking at the benefits of combining perovskites with other technologies, like silicon for example, to create what is referred to as “tandem cells”.
Tokyo City University reports record 25.14% efficiency for perovskite/CIGS tandem cell
Researchers at Tokyo City University in Japan have reportedly achieved a new world record power conversion efficiency for a tandem solar cell that combines a perovskite top cell with a copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) bottom cell. The two-terminal device has an active area of 1 cm² and reached a certified efficiency of 25.14%, with the result independently confirmed by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
This surpasses the previous record of 24.6% for a perovskite-CIGS tandem, which was set by Germany’s Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in February 2025, after which groups worldwide had been trying to push the technology beyond the 25% threshold. The Japanese team notes that, until now, this 25% mark had remained out of reach despite intensive international research efforts.
Novel interface engineering strategy enables record 27.17% n–i–p perovskite solar cell efficiency
Researchers from Nankai University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, University of Copenhagen, Hebei University, King Saud University and ULVAC-PHI Instruments Co. have reported a new strategy to overcome a long-standing efficiency bottleneck in conventional n-i-p perovskite solar cells, achieving a certified steady-state power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 27.17%.
Despite the robustness and scalability of the n-i-p architecture, its steady-state efficiency has remained stalled at around 26%, trailing behind competing device designs. The researchers attribute this limitation to non-radiative recombination losses at the buried interface between the textured electron transport layer (ETL) and the perovskite absorber.
GIST launches initiative to commercialize perovskite solar cells
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) has announced an initiative to commercialize perovskite solar cells, aiming to move the technology beyond laboratory-scale performance and into large-area mass production.
GIST launched its “Strategic Research Group for the World’s First Commercialization of Perovskite Solar Cells,” marking the start of a coordinated effort to industrialize next-generation photovoltaic technology. The initiative is designed to establish a comprehensive research and development framework spanning materials, device engineering, module fabrication, process optimization, and real-world demonstration.
Aolian Solar completes perovskite PV test project
A Chinese company called Aolian Solar has reportedly completed its first perovskite PV power generation test project. Aolian Solar is a subsidiary of automotive electronics and electrical components manufacturer Nanjing Aolian AE&EA Co., Ltd. (ALAE).
Image Credit: Aolian Solar, Taiyangnews
The 15 kW project spans more than 1,200 m² and integrates crystalline silicon, perovskite, and cadmium telluride PV technologies. The facility uses 5G-based intelligent monitoring systems to track generation performance under multiple operating scenarios. The company said the project will be used to compare generation data across different PV technologies and evaluate their suitability for various applications.
Researchers develop entropy-regulated molecular-lock strategy for stable 27.6% FAPbI₃ perovskite solar cells
Researchers from China, Korea and Russia have reported a molecular-level strategy to stabilize formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃) perovskite solar cells, achieving a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 27.6% while addressing one of the field’s most persistent challenges: phase instability.
FAPbI₃ is widely regarded as a leading perovskite absorber due to its optimal bandgap, but its performance is fundamentally limited by the instability of its ionic-covalent Pb-I octahedral framework. Under operational conditions - particularly elevated temperature and humidity - the desirable photoactive α-phase tends to transform into a non-perovskite hexagonal δ-phase. This transition is driven by structural disorder and entropy increase associated with the [PbI₆]⁴⁻ octahedra. To address this, the researchers introduced an entropy-regulating molecular-lock strategy using 1-pyridin-3-ylmethyl-piperazine hydrochloride (3-PMPCl). The additive is incorporated both within the bulk and at the surface of the perovskite layer, where it forms strong interactions with the lattice. These interactions effectively restrict the rotational freedom of the organic cations and suppress entropy-driven disorder and expansion of the Pb-I octahedra.
Perovion, TNO and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings to collaborate on flexible perovskite PV commercialization
Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, a Japanese packaging and materials company, has reached an agreement with Perovion Technologies (a spin-out company of TNO) and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (“TNO”) to establish a strategic technological and business partnership that aims to create a global market for perovskite flexible photovoltaic panel.
Perovion will be responsible for commercializing the perovskite solar cell manufacturing technology developed by TNO. Toyo Seikan Group Holdings and its technology development partner TNO have been advancing the mass customization of integrated photovoltaic systems in Europe since 2025. These systems are centered on MiraNeo®, the Toyo Seikan Group Holdings brand of functional materials for electronic devices. Through the new three-way partnership, Toyo Seikan Group Holdings will further accelerate its business expansion in the perovskite solar panels field.
Novel interconnecting layer enables 30.19% efficient all-perovskite tandem solar cells
Researchers from China's Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Optics Valley Laboratory, Taizhou University, Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), Southern University of Science and Technology, Henan Normal University, Shandong University and the UK's University of Oxford have developed a robust interconnecting layer strategy for all-perovskite tandem solar cells that addresses key stability bottlenecks associated with conventional designs.
All-perovskite tandems have already surpassed 30% power conversion efficiency (PCE) in double-junction configurations, but long-term operational stability, especially under heat and light, remains a major limitation. A central issue lies in the interconnecting layers, which must simultaneously provide high transparency, efficient charge recombination, and chemical robustness. Standard architectures typically rely on a stack of C60/SnOx/ultrathin Au/PEDOT:PSS. However, PEDOT:PSS introduces parasitic absorption and chemical instability due to its acidic and hygroscopic nature, triggering degradation pathways such as iodine formation and Sn(II) oxidation in tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites. At the same time, the inclusion of ~1 nm Au leads to optical losses via plasmonic absorption and can diffuse into the absorber at temperatures around 65°C, further compromising device stability.
Renshine Solar initiates large-scale perovskite BIPV rooftop project
Perovskite manufacturer Renshine Solar is developing what it describes as the ‘world’s largest’ perovskite building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) rooftop project.
Renshine Solar’s BIPV rooftop project at the former Shanghai Boiler Factory workshop
The installation will use around 6,000 perovskite modules across a 4,000 m² rooftop at the former Shanghai Boiler Factory workshop. The company said its lightweight and flexible modules can be customized in color and size to meet architectural design requirements for BIPV applications.
Photoisomeric additive raises perovskite cell efficiency to 24.71% while blocking UV degradation
Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Beijing Solarverse Optoelectronic Technology have developed a molecular strategy that simultaneously boosts perovskite solar cell efficiency and protects against ultraviolet degradation. The team incorporated a light-responsive molecule called 2,3-bis(2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thienyl) maleimide (BTTM) directly into the perovskite absorber layer, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 24.71%, up from 22.07% in unmodified devices.
Illustration of the BTTM molecule. Image from: Research
Halide perovskites possess a soft ionic lattice that makes them vulnerable during continuous sunlight exposure. High-energy ultraviolet irradiation oxidizes halide ions within the perovskite layer, accelerating iodide migration and component loss that degrades photovoltaic performance. While most approaches attempt to filter UV light externally, this team engineered protection from within the absorber itself.
Perovskite-Info updates its Perovskite for the Solar Industry Market Report
Today we have released a new edition of the Perovskites for the Solar Industry market report. This report, over 250 pages long, is a comprehensive guide to next-generation perovskite-based solutions for the solar industry that enable efficient, low cost, lightweight and unique solar solutions. This major new edition includes over 25 new companies and over 70 updates. The perovskite industry is moving fast towards commercialization and our report is a must-read for anyone that wishes to become an expert on this emerging industry and market.
Reading this report, you'll learn all about:
- The perovskite solar industry and market
- The advantages and challenges of perovskite PVs
- Perovskite PV developers and supply chain companies
- What the future holds for the perovskite market and industry
The report also provides:
- Market segmentation by technology, geography, applications and more
- The latest efficiency records (by PV type)
- Details on perovskite collaborative research projects
- A market snapshot and forecast
- Free updates for a year
