Efficiency

Huarou PV has reported a conversion efficiency of 27.98% for its self-developed single-junction perovskite solar cell, certified by the National PV Industry Measurement and Testing Center (NPVM). The test device has an area of 0.051 m² and was measured under standard illumination conditions.

According to shareholder Ouhai Sci-tech Group, the result represents the first time a perovskite solar cell has exceeded the laboratory efficiency of all single-junction crystalline silicon cells. For comparison, the previous record of 27.9% was achieved by LONGi in 2025 using its HTBC structure and verified by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), later included in the Solar Cell Efficiency Tables (Version 67).

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Linköping University have reported a four‑terminal (4T) silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 30.2%. The device combines an optimized transparent perovskite top cell with a monocrystalline n‑type TOPCon silicon bottom cell that delivers 25.5% efficiency on its own.

Efficient spectral utilization in tandem architectures requires careful bandgap tuning of the perovskite absorber. However, shifting the bandgap up or down often introduces open‑circuit voltage (VOC) losses, which are commonly attributed to misalignment at the charge‑transport interfaces. The study investigates whether this conventional explanation fully accounts for the observed voltage deficits.

Researchers from Henan University, The University of Sydney, Forschungszentrum Jülich (IMD-3 Photovoltaics), University of Glasgow, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Westlake University and University of South Australia have developed a pH-modulated co-SAM (self-assembled monolayer) strategy that improves the performance and robustness of wide-band-gap perovskite and perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. Their approach centers on suppressing aggregation in SAM precursor solutions, a common bottleneck that limits film quality and device stability.

The team discovered that aggregation in standard SAM precursor molecules can be effectively mitigated by controlling the solution’s pH. To achieve this, they synthesized a new compound - 6-aminohexylphosphonic acid hydrochloride (6AHPACl) - and introduced it to the widely used (4-(3,6-dimethyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl)phosphonic acid (Me-4PACz) solution. The resulting co-SAM formulation not only stabilizes the pH but also enhances surface chemistry at the SAM/perovskite interface.

Researchers from Henan University, Southeast University, HZB, EPFL, Queen Mary University of London, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Stuttgart, Cardiff University, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, University of Cambridge, Xiamen University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a method for enhancing both the efficiency and environmental resilience of perovskite solar cells.

"We have recently achieved significant advances in protecting perovskite solar cells against light, heat, moisture, and mechanical stress. But operating them reliably under changing environmental conditions is still a challenge," says Prof. Michael Saliba, head of the Institute for Photovoltaics (IPV) at the University of Stuttgart.

It was reported that solar equipment manufacturer Maxwell has reached a certified conversion efficiency of 32.5% of its perovskite-silicon heterojunction (HJT) tandem cell, as was reportedly verified by Fraunhofer ISE. This is an improvement over its previous record of 32.38%.

According to the company, the cell was produced on 110 µm industrial-grade silicon wafers using its mass-production equipment and processes. Maxwell attributed the gain to optimized perovskite passivation and development of low-damage TCO materials.

Researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, DR Laser Technology (Wuxi), Hubei Optical Fundamental Research Center and Optics Valley Laboratory have developed a dipole-engineered passivation strategy that significantly boosts the performance and operational stability of all-perovskite tandem solar cells.

All-perovskite tandem architectures are considered promising photovoltaic platforms, but the SnPb narrow-bandgap subcell - a crucial component determining tandem efficiency - is limited by severe surface defect-induced recombination at the perovskite/C₆₀ interface. These interfacial defects lead to both reduced open-circuit voltage and unstable long-term performance, with most devices maintaining stability for less than 800 hours. To address this bottleneck, the researchers introduced methylpyridinium iodide (AMPYI₂) molecules as dipole-active interfacial passivators. 

A team of researchers from China has developed a new strategy that tackles crystallographic defects and impurities that cause non-radiative recombination, a key limiting factor for large-area, flexible perovskite photovoltaics. The team demonstrated in situ defect detection and laser-based repair to improve film quality across large areas.

In the new approach, regions with high densities of crystallographic defects and impurities were identified and visually depicted through photoluminescence quantum yield and Urbach energy measurements. A 450 nm laser was then used to precisely and rapidly repair these defective regions, leading to a significant reduction in defect content compared with pristine perovskite films.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Harbin Engineering University have developed a crystal-solvate (CSV) pre-seeding strategy that significantly boosts both the efficiency and scalability of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The study demonstrates a new approach for regulating buried interfacial structures in solution-processed perovskite films - recognized as a major obstacle to stability and efficiency improvement.

Inverted PSCs, which reverse the conventional layer sequence by placing the hole-transport layer beneath the perovskite absorber, offer superior compatibility with scalable solution-processing methods. However, their performance has been limited by uncontrolled microstructure and electronic defects at the buried interface between the perovskite and the self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The new CSV pre-seeding method directly tackles this issue by introducing pre-deposited low-dimensional halide crystal-solvate (CSV) seeds - with the representative composition PDPbI₄·DMSO - onto SAM-modified substrates before perovskite deposition.

Researchers from the University of Oxford, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, HZB and Université Grenoble Alpes (CEA) have developed a multi-source co-evaporation strategy that enhances the crystal quality of vacuum-deposited perovskite films. The team stated that this advance brings all vacuum-deposited single-junction perovskite cells as well as perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells closer to scalable production. 

Schematic of device architecture for all-vacuum-deposited WBG PSCs. Image from: Nature Materials

Many perovskite solar cells use solution “inks" in their design, while many industrial thin-film products (from OLED displays to optical coatings) are produced by vacuum deposition - a clean, solvent-free process that can coat large areas very uniformly. However, when perovskites are fabricated entirely by vacuum deposition, the crystals can form in less-than-ideal ways, leaving the films more defect-prone and significantly unstable.

Researchers from China's Southern University of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, City University of Hong Kong, Eastern Institute of Technology and Shenzhen Polytechnic University have developed a new molecular engineering strategy that overcomes a known bottleneck in perovskite solar cell (PSC) interfaces - self-aggregation of hole-selective self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) leading to poor interfacial contact and energy loss.

While perovskite solar technology made great strides in recent years, fine control of interfacial chemistry remains one of the key challenges limiting long-term stability and reproducibility. Conventional hole-transport SAMs often suffer from excessive intermolecular interactions, causing aggregation and misaligned energy levels that degrade charge extraction.