Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University have reported what they say is the first-ever successful photovoltaic (PV) damp-heat test of perovskite solar cells.
The damp-heat test is an accelerated and rigorous environmental aging test aimed at determining the ability of solar panels to withstand prolonged exposure to high humidity penetration and elevated temperatures. The test is run for 1,000 hours under a controlled environment of 85% humidity and 85 degrees Celsius. It is meant to replicate multiple years of outdoor exposure and evaluate factors such as corrosion and delamination.
The KAUST researchers introduced 2D-perovskite passivation layers to simultaneously enhance the power conversion efficiencies and lifetime PSCs. The team fabricated damp heat'stable PSCs by tailoring the dimensional fragments of 2D-perovskite layers, formed at room temperature with oleylammonium-iodide molecules, that passivate the perovskite surface at the electron-selective contact.
The resulting inverted PSCs delivered a 24.3% PCE and retain >95% of their initial value after >1000 hours at damp-heat test conditions, thereby meeting one of the critical industrial stability standards for PV modules.