Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells currently have higher production costs than traditional silicon panels but promise greater efficiency and future cost reductions. Here’s a detailed comparison:
Cost per Watt
- Traditional silicon panels: $0.15/W for conventional photovoltaic panels, with TOPCon and other advanced silicon technologies likely lower as costs continue declining.
- Perovskite-silicon tandems: $0.35/W in the U.S. under current conditions, potentially dropping to $0.26–$0.30/W at 30–35% efficiency.
- GCL’s projection: $0.075/W (50% of $0.15/W silicon modules), though this reflects a cost-per-watt target rather than current market prices.
Efficiency and Value
- Silicon panels: 15–22% efficiency, with TOPCon exceeding 24% commercially.
- Tandems: 25–35% module efficiency, enabling more energy per unit area.
- Higher efficiency offsets land/installation costs, particularly for large projects.
Key Cost Drivers
- Materials: Tandems require specialized glass, encapsulation, and perovskite precursors (e.g., electron transport layers).
- Scale: Silicon benefits from decades of optimized supply chains, while tandem manufacturing remains nascent.
- Degradation: Tandems lack proven long-term stability, though recent tests (e.g., GCL’s IEC certifications) show progress.
Future Outlook
- Cost reductions: Expected as perovskite processing scales and silicon cell prices decline further.
- Market Entry: Tandems may debut in utility-scale projects due to their land-efficiency advantage, with commercial production (e.g., GCL) targeting late 2025.
- Competitiveness: At ~32.5% efficiency, tandems could undercut silicon’s $/W, especially with incentives like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.
Comparison Table
| Metric | Traditional Silicon | Perovskite-Silicon Tandem |
|---|---|---|
| Current Cost/Watt | $0.15 | $0.35+ |
| Efficiency | 15–24% | 25–35% |
| Land Use | Higher | Lower |
| Commercial Readiness | Mature | Pilot/early production |
| Key Advantage | Low cost | High efficiency |
While tandems are currently more expensive, their higher efficiency and projected cost declines position them as a promising successor to silicon panels.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-the-costs-of-perovskite-silicon-tandem-solar-cells-compare-to-traditional-silicon-solar-panels/
