Perovskite Photovoltaics Overcome Durability Concerns as Commercialization Begins

Commercial silicon solar panels typically have lifetimes between 20 and 25 years, setting a benchmark for competing photovoltaic (PV) technologies. To compete to the same degree, alternative PV solutions must demonstrate comparable longevity. Among these, perovskite PV has garnered significant industry interest due to its high efficiency, scalable manufacturing, and relatively low material costs. However, durability challenges have long stalled its commercialization. Now, several pilot and small commercial scale perovskite solar projects are underway, with many companies achieving panel lifetimes over 10 years and steadily bridging the gap to the 25-year target. But what material advancements have driven this progress in extending perovskite PV device lifetimes?

In their recent report, “Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Trends,” IDTechEx explores the entire perovskite market, conducting a critical analysis of the emerging technology, along with an assessment of the material trends that are helping to drive commercial uptake. Benchmarking of key perovskite photovoltaic technologies, including single-junction perovskite, perovskite/silicon tandem, and all-perovskite tandem solar, alongside an assessment of over 20 market players, helps formulate granular 10-year market forecasts. Significant growth of the perovskite photovoltaic market is predicted, with annual revenue for the entire market set to reach almost US$12 billion by 2035.

Under operational conditions, PV modules are regularly exposed to strong light intensity, humidity, rain, and extreme weather conditions. To ensure long-term performance, solar panels must withstand these harsh environments with minimal degradation. Perovskite PV devices, however, have historically suffered from stability issues when exposed to atmospheric conditions, which has hindered market adoption and led to skepticism about their reliability. Yet, advancements in materials science have significantly improved perovskite PV durability, paving the way for commercialization.

Perovskite solar cell degradation can be categorized as either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic degradation stems from material defects and ion migration, while extrinsic degradation results from environmental factors such as heat, moisture, oxygen, and UV radiation. Both types of degradation can severely impact the electronic and optical properties of the cell, altering its chemistry and causing structural changes in the perovskite film.

To enhance long-term durability, researchers have focused on improving intrinsic stability through material engineering. This includes altering of the chemical compositions to increase ion migration resistance, enhance crystal stability, and reduce defect density. Alloying either at the A-site cation or X-site anion can mitigate strain and distortion or fine-tune the material bandgap, respectively. While these modifications improve stability, they may also alter optical properties and reduce light absorption. Striking a balance between material stability and performance is crucial, but external encapsulation offers a solution that minimizes this trade-off.

High-quality encapsulation remains the most effective strategy for boosting perovskite PV durability while maintaining high power conversion efficiencies (PCE). Glass-glass encapsulation, a well-established method used in silicon solar panels, provides strong protection by sealing the cell between two layers of glass. This approach is particularly suited for rigid perovskite/silicon tandem devices, where it has already demonstrated decades of projected durability for the use in traditional silicon solar panels. Exact details of the encapsulant have not been disclosed, but companies such as Tandem PV have reportedly demonstrated the equivalent of decades of projected durability in the lab, and Oxford PV's tandem solar panels have reportedly passed all key IEC reliability tests.

To allow for flexible and thin-film devices, polymer encapsulants or emerging thin film encapsulants may be employed. Polymer encapsulation materials have been extensively studied and are commercially available for use in OLED devices. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is the most common encapsulant in the photovoltaics industry due to its extensive use in silicon module encapsulation. It is cheap and has good optical transmittance; however, it is known that acetic acid can be released over time as a chemical by-product, which degrades the efficiency. Additionally, its water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) is considered too high for perovskite solar cells, allowing for water ingress and degradation to the cell. Alternative polymers, such as polyisobutylene (PIB) and butyl rubber, show promise, although they have been less extensively studied.

Thin-film encapsulation is an emerging alternative for flexible device fabrication. Thin film encapsulants include aluminum oxide, tin oxide, titanium oxide, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride. These materials have already been tested in OLED manufacturing and are compatible with existing production equipment, supporting scalable manufacturing for perovskite PV.

In a rapidly developing technological environment, is a 20- to 25-year lifetime even necessary? Residential silicon solar panels typically have a return on investment (ROI) of 8-12 years against their 20 to 25-year lifetime. Providing the ROI is much lower than the technology lifetime, then perovskite durability may not pose as much of an issue. Companies such as Power Roll have developed a novel device architecture that is roll-to-roll compatible with significantly reduced manufacturing costs compared to silicon solar. Their modules have a projected lifetime of 10-15 years, with the company targeting a 2- to 3-year ROI, making them an attractive alternative for rapidly advancing technological markets.

Ultimately, perovskite stability may not be as limiting to commercialization as once thought. Several perovskite PV products are already available, with further market expansion on the horizon. For more details on the emerging material trends for perovskite photovoltaics and assessment of the companies targeting their release, see IDTechEx's report on the topic, “Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Trends”.

To find out more, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Perovskite.