Annual Perovskite Pv Installations To Reach 85Gw By 2035 Shows Report

Annual perovskite PV installations will reach a power generation capacity of almost 85GW by 2035, driven by the solar industry’s need for greater efficiency and lightweight, flexible solar cells.

This is according to the latest report from research firm IDTechEx, Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035.

The report highlights that substantial investments, government initiatives, R&D and a rise in decarbonisation goals have enabled the rapid adoption of solar technology.

However, traditional silicon solar is reaching an efficiency limit, and the rigid, heavy nature of silicon solar panels means that it cannot be utilised for all applications.

Perovskite solar cells have therefore garnered significant attention for their light weight and flexible nature, relatively low manufacturing price and ability to enhance the efficiency of silicon solar panels at little extra cost.

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According to IDTechEx, single junction perovskite solar cells are unlikely to directly replace all silicon solar technology, due to the scale and maturity of the market. They will, however, be preferred for emerging applications where weight limits exist, and flexibility is required.

Thin film modules can be up to 90% lighter than silicon modules and therefore are very well suited for vertical building integrated PV (BIPV). With the upscale and commercialisation of low-cost, light-weight and design-flexible perovskite PV, this could become a viable application sector. However, concerns over the lifetime of the technology that is required for BIPV limits the current uptake, and the future scale of integration may be volatile.

With the emergence of Internet of Things (IoT), perovskite PV could also be a very suitable choice for self-powered smart electronics. These small electronics typically rely on batteries which require replacement every few years at the expense of high material and labor costs. Providing power to these devices using small low-cost PV modules with greater longevity than batteries is a very promising application.

The report suggests that single junction perovskite solar cells, as with all single junction technologies, will approach an efficiency plateau. This plateau is expected since there exists a maximum theoretical efficiency limit of 30% for a single junction device.

Instead, to further improve the efficiency of traditional Si-based solar cells, researchers are exploring the integration of perovskite solar cells with silicon solar cells, in a tandem device architecture. These multi-junction cells possess a much greater theoretical efficiency limit of approximately 43%. In June 2024, a record maximum of 34.6% efficiency was achieved in lab, by Longi.

Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells possess similar mechanical properties to single-junction silicon solar and so they will predominately be used for traditional solar applications, including solar farms and residential rooftops.

As first-generation solar technologies reach end-of-life around 2030 and beyond, it is likely an increase in uptake of perovskite/silicon tandem solar will be seen, especially as costs lower with economies of scale.

Despite significant innovation and opportunities for perovskite PV technology, there may be some scepticism to integration.

As a direct competitor, the scale and maturity of the silicon solar market may hinder the widespread adoption of perovskite solar. Deployments of the technology may initially be slow, with consumers typically risk averse and requiring proof of in-field performance before ramp-up of adoption is seen.

Along with this, perovskites are known to suffer significant degradation when exposed to moisture, air and UV light. To overcome this, high-quality encapsulation of the perovskite solar cell is required. Advancements in encapsulant materials and fabrication processes are still ongoing, with many companies now claiming 10+ year lifetimes, with the 25-year target in sight.