Flexibility

Perovskite manufacturer Mellow Energy (AKA Vein Energy) has announced that its self-developed 30×30 cm² flexible perovskite solar module has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 21.13%, as certified by TÜV NORD. The company claims this result represents a record conversion efficiency for flexible perovskite modules at the same area scale.

Mellow Energy added that it is accelerating demonstration validation and scenario deployment across multiple fields, including consumer electronics, mobile energy, vehicle-integrated PV, aerospace, and satellites, to promote the transition of perovskite products toward scaled application and commercialization.

A recent study by researchers at Israel's Hebrew University of Jerusalem reports the development of a semi-transparent, color-tunable perovskite solar cell designed for integration into surfaces such as architectural glass and flexible substrates where conventional panels are not suitable. The devices are fabricated using a low-temperature process that combines plasma-assisted deposition of the electron transport layer with inkjet printing of 3D polymer pillars from a solvent-free, UV-curable monomer.

Schematic presentation of the main steps involved in the fabrication of a colorful, semi-transparent, flexible perovskite solar cell. Image from : EES Solar

The work, led by Prof. Shlomo Magdassi and Prof. Lioz Etgar from the Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, presents a method for controlling optical and mechanical properties without modifying the perovskite absorber layer. Optical transparency is adjusted by the spacing of the micrometric polymer pillars, which act as “optical holes” within the perovskite layer, enabling a balance between active area, average visible transmittance, and mechanical robustness.

BiLight Innovations has launched three flagship innovations at CES: a flexible and lightweight rollable photovoltaic (PV) curtain, a lithium-free perovskite electronic nameplate and a portable solar scroll.

Targeting core home and office scenarios, these products aim to redefine the boundaries of traditional photovoltaic applications. Through technological breakthroughs in flexibility, battery-free design, and scenario-based integration, the launch has attracted widespread attention across the show floor.

Researchers from Jinan University, Guangdong Mellow Energy and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have reported a flexible perovskite solar cell architecture that combines data‑driven machine‑learning optimization with a targeted passivation scheme based on amorphous grain‑boundary engineering to simultaneously address power conversion efficiency, operational stability and mechanical reliability. The perovskite microstructure is tailored to suppress nonradiative recombination, mitigate ion‑migration pathways and enhance fracture tolerance under repeated bending, enabling flexible devices with high efficiency, extended durability under environmental stressors and robustness suitable for lightweight, large‑area modules for wearable, vehicular and building‑integrated photovoltaic applications.

The optimized architecture delivers flexible perovskite solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 24.52%, while maintaining 92.5% of the initial efficiency after 10,000 bending cycles, 95% after 300 days in ambient conditions and 80% after 650 h of continuous maximum power point tracking. Certified flexible modules reach 21.09% efficiency at an aperture area of 21.07 cm² and 17.38% at 0.5 m² (86.9 W output), while a larger 1.4725 m² module delivers 226 W with a specific power of 558 W kg⁻¹, underscoring the scalability of the amorphous grain‑boundary engineering approach. These metrics collectively show that the strategy both advances the state of the art in flexible perovskite device efficiency and mitigates key reliability bottlenecks that have historically impeded the transition to large‑area, application‑relevant modules.

Chinese solar cell equipment manufacturer S.C New Energy has announced that it has successfully delivered its first commercial, mass-production line of flexible perovskite solar cell equipment. The delivered line covers core equipment for key processes, including cleaning, RPD, PVD, and coating.

Photo Credit: S.C New Energy

According to the company, its in-house-developed dedicated RPD equipment enables efficient thin-film deposition at low temperatures, while the slit-coating system ensures uniform coating on flexible substrates. It adds that the VCD vacuum-drying equipment optimizes the crystallization quality of perovskite films.

Researchers from Zhengzhou University, University of Surrey, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, University of Cambridge and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) have developed flexible perovskite solar modules (f-PSMs) using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as window electrodes. 

Flexible perovskite solar modules are considered promising for lightweight and sustainable energy generation, but their commercial development has been constrained by limited long-term stability and reliance on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The research team demonstrated that SWCNT-based electrodes can deliver power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20% at module scale. Further improvement was achieved by treating the SWCNTs with sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), which enhanced their conductivity and facilitated the formation of a compact NiSO₄–NiOx interface. This interface improves charge transfer between the perovskite absorber and the hole transport layer, enabling ITO-free perovskite solar cells to reach efficiencies above 24% in rigid configurations and about 23% in flexible modules.

An international team of researchers from Germany's HZB, China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University and several Japanese universities have made progress in the development of ultra-flexible perovskite solar cells (u-FPSCs), a promising technology for applications like wearable electronics, medical devices, and the Internet of Things (IoT). 

The team focused on enhancing the long-term stability of u-FPSCs. By integrating a dual hole transport layer of nickel oxide and a carbazole-based self-assembled monolayer (2PACz) onto transparent polyimide substrates, they achieved solar cell devices with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.3% and operational stability with almost no PCE losses exceeding 1,200 h in inert conditions. To enhance device stability in air, the scientists introduced a 15-nm Al₂O₃ humidity barrier that preserved 90% of the device’s initial performance after 130 h in air. 

Researchers from LONGi Green Energy, Soochow University, Xi'an Jiaotong University and other institutions recently proposed a dual-buffer-layer strategy with a stress-release mechanism to synergistically mitigate ion bombardment during subsequent sputtering deposition and enhance interfacial adhesion while preserving efficient charge extraction. The loose SnOx buffer layer, engineered by adjusting the purging time of atomic layer deposition, can dissipate strain energy, whereas the compact SnOx layer can ensure robust electrical contact. 

Based on this dual-buffer-layer, the flexible tandem solar cell, constructed on a 60-micron thick ultra-thin silicon bottom cell, achieved a certified PCE of 33.4% on 1-cm² area, and an certified PCE of 29.8% on wafer-sized area of 260-cm² with a power-per-weight of up to 1.77 W/g. 

Japan-based Electric Power Development (J-POWER) has announced it has made an investment in Active Surfaces, a startup founded in 2022 that develops ultralight, flexible perovskite solar modules that peel-and-stick onto roofs, walls, and curved surfaces.

Through this investment, J-POWER will collaborate with Active Surfaces to conduct pilot tests utilizing the company’s products. As the next step, J-POWER aims to create new businesses by utilizing diverse perovskite solar cell products suited to various installation environments. 

Building on earlier coverage of the EU’s PEARL project, new results at month 18 of its three-year run reveal progress towards the consortium’s ambitious goals for flexible perovskite solar cells with carbon electrodes. By leveraging advanced materials research and pilot-scale roll-to-roll manufacturing, PEARL has delivered key technical achievements with direct impact on scalability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The researchers have now fabricated solar cells on flexible PET substrates that surpass 21% efficiency. Notable advances include a record 21.6% power conversion efficiency by Spain’s ICIQ using molecular surface passivation, 17.03% by Rome Tor Vergata with green perovskite solvents, and 14.8% by VTT through a gravure-printed process. The Dutch TNO group achieved 9.1% efficiency using fully roll-to-roll coating, while minimodules of 36 cm² have displayed 4.5% efficiency.