1. Improved Stability and Durability
- PSCs currently suffer from poor long-term stability. They degrade rapidly when exposed to environmental factors such as heat, moisture, and oxygen, limiting their operational lifespan compared to silicon cells. More robust encapsulation methods, passivation techniques, and interface engineering are crucial to enhance their resilience under real-world conditions.
- Recent progress includes breakthroughs like a PSC reported by Princeton University that could potentially last up to 30 years, indicating that durability can be significantly improved with advanced materials and device engineering.
2. Reduction of Toxicity (Lead-Free Materials)
- Most high-efficiency PSCs use lead-based perovskites, which raise environmental and health concerns. Developing lead-free or less toxic alternatives such as tin-based or germanium-based perovskites is important for sustainable commercialization.
- Lead-free flexible PSCs are an emerging research focus, balancing efficiency with environmental safety. However, these alternatives often face challenges of lower efficiency and stability, necessitating further materials science advances.
3. Scaling and Manufacturing
- To compete with silicon cells commercially, PSCs must be scalable and manufacturable at low cost. Techniques like printing and roll-to-roll processing are being developed to enable large-scale production.
- The inherent defect tolerance of perovskite materials allows for simpler manufacturing processes compared to silicon, which requires near-perfect crystal formation, offering a potential cost advantage once stability issues are addressed.
4. Higher Efficiency through Tandem and Concentrator Technologies
- Perovskites have rapidly improved in power conversion efficiency (PCE), increasing from about 3.5% to over 25.8% within a decade, and recently tandem perovskite-silicon cells have surpassed 30% efficiency.
- Enhancing PSC efficiency further via tandem configurations (stacking perovskite layers with silicon or other materials) and concentrator photovoltaic systems that increase light absorption and energy density can push their performance beyond single-junction silicon cells. Recent concentrator PSCs reached efficiencies up to 27.3%, showing potential for integrated high-efficiency systems.
5. Thermal Management and Long-Term Performance under Operating Conditions
- Efficient heat dissipation techniques are needed to prevent performance loss under high-intensity illumination, particularly in concentrator systems, to sustain high efficiency.
- Developing materials and device architectures that maintain performance despite temperature variations and mechanical strain will improve durability and reliability.
Summary Table of Needed Advancements
| Area | Key Challenges | Required Advancements |
|---|---|---|
| Stability & Durability | Degradation from heat, moisture, oxygen | Advanced encapsulation, passivation, interface engineering |
| Toxicity | Lead toxicity concerns | Development of efficient lead-free perovskites |
| Scalability & Cost | Manufacturing scale-up and cost | Printing, roll-to-roll fabrication, defect tolerance exploitation |
| Efficiency | Approaching or surpassing silicon PCE | Tandem and concentrator cell development |
| Thermal Management | Heat handling under real-world conditions | Improved thermal dissipation materials and designs |
By addressing these advancements, perovskite solar cells can become more competitive with silicon-based technologies, combining potentially lower costs, higher efficiencies, and flexible applications.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-advancements-are-needed-to-make-perovskite-solar-cells-more-competitive-with-silicon-based-cells/
