Perovskite solar cells have emerged as the most promising next-generation photovoltaic technology, triggering a global race in research and industrialization. As the photovoltaic industry shifts from “efficiency competition” to “structural innovation,” perovskite technology, with its exceptional photoelectric conversion efficiency, low production costs, and flexible applicability, is redefining the development landscape of the solar energy sector. This article delves into the working principles, core advantages, mainstream technical routes, latest industrialization breakthroughs, and standardization challenges of perovskite solar cells, shedding light on their role in accelerating the global energy transition.
Fundamentals of Perovskite Solar Cells: How They Convert Sunlight to Electricity
Perovskite solar cells belong to the third generation of solar cells, utilizing organic-inorganic metal halide semiconductors with a perovskite crystal structure (ABX₃, where A is a monovalent cation, B is a divalent cation, and X is a halogen anion) as the light-absorbing material. Their operating principle is based on the photovoltaic effect, involving four key processes: generation, separation, transport, and collection of charge carriers.
When sunlight irradiates the perovskite light-absorbing layer (the core component of the cell), photons with energy greater than the material’s band gap are absorbed, generating excitons (electron-hole pairs). Due to the perovskite’s low exciton binding energy and long carrier diffusion length, these excitons rapidly dissociate into free electrons and holes before recombination. The electron transport layer (ETL) and hole transport layer (HTL) on either side of the light-absorbing layer then selectively extract and transport electrons and holes, respectively, forming an energy barrier to suppress carrier recombination. Finally, the carriers are collected by the electrodes and flow through the external circuit, generating a photocurrent.
A typical perovskite solar cell features a sandwich structure, consisting of a transparent conductive substrate, electron transport layer, perovskite light-absorbing layer, hole transport layer, and metal electrode. This simple structure enables low-temperature fabrication processes, laying the foundation for cost reduction and flexible device development.
Core Advantages of Perovskite Solar Cells: Outperforming Traditional Silicon
Perovskite solar cells have gained widespread attention due to their inherent advantages that address critical limitations of traditional silicon-based solar cells:
Exceptional photoelectric conversion efficiency with rapid improvement. Since the first perovskite solar cell was fabricated in 2009 with an efficiency of only 3.8%, its laboratory efficiency has soared to 27.2% for single-junction cells. More notably, perovskite-silicon tandem cells have achieved a certified efficiency of over 34%, with a theoretical efficiency limit exceeding 43%—far surpassing the ~26% maximum efficiency of commercial silicon-based cells. In early 2026, a research team from Soochow University set a new world record for flexible perovskite-silicon tandem cells, achieving 33.6% efficiency on a 60μm-thin silicon wafer and 29.8% for a large-area (261cm²) device.
Significant cost competitiveness. Perovskite materials are low-cost, with raw material costs only 1/20 that of silicon. The light-absorbing layer requires just 300-500nm of material, minimizing usage. Moreover, perovskite films can be fabricated via low-temperature processes such as solution printing, blade coating, and slot-die coating, with production energy consumption of 0.12-0.23 kWh/W—1/8 to 1/13 that of silicon cells. Industry forecasts suggest that module costs could drop to 0.5-0.6 yuan/W (approximately $0.07-0.08/W) after GW-scale mass production.
Strong flexibility and morphological adaptability. Perovskite films can be deposited on flexible substrates such as plastic and metal foils, producing lightweight modules (around 0.3kg/㎡) that are bendable and foldable—ideal for curved surfaces and complex carriers. By adjusting material composition, the band gap and color can be precisely tuned, enabling translucent designs suitable for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), vehicle-mounted photovoltaics, and aerospace applications. The Soochow University team’s flexible device maintained 97% of its initial efficiency after 43,000 extreme bends, demonstrating excellent mechanical durability.
Superior low-light response. Under indoor low-light conditions (200-1000 lux), perovskite solar cells achieve conversion efficiencies of 25%-40%—2-3 times that of traditional amorphous silicon cells—with minimal open-circuit voltage decay. This makes them ideal for powering IoT devices and smart sensors in indoor environments.
Mainstream Technical Routes: Single-Junction and Tandem Cells
The perovskite solar cell industry is accelerating technological differentiation, with two main routes—single-junction and tandem cells—advancing in parallel, forming a multi-path development pattern:
Single-junction perovskite cells represent the most mature technical route, with megawatt-scale power plant applications already realized, making them the primary choice for most start-ups. These cells offer lower costs and advantages in flexibility and translucency, providing irreplaceable value in emerging scenarios such as BIPV and vehicle-mounted photovoltaics. For example, their ability to be integrated into building facades and vehicle surfaces expands the application boundaries of photovoltaic technology.
Perovskite tandem cells (including perovskite-silicon and all-perovskite configurations) achieve higher efficiency by combining wide-bandgap perovskite with narrow-bandgap silicon (or another perovskite layer) for spectral complementarity. Tandem routes include module-level four-terminal structures and cell-level two-terminal structures, which are more suitable for high-value scenarios with limited space. Industry experts predict that tandem cells will achieve commercial application within 4-5 years. In October 2024, a research team from Nanjing University and Renshuo Energy set a world record for all-perovskite tandem cells with a steady-state efficiency of 28.2% for a 1.05cm² device.
Industry insiders emphasize that perovskite will not merely be a “replacement route” but an “incremental route” in future photovoltaic competition. By combining with silicon, it will create new technical barriers and drive a paradigm shift in photovoltaic technology. However, achieving a balance between efficiency, stability, and cost is crucial for perovskite to gain sustainable competitive advantages.
Industrialization Progress: From Laboratory to Commercial Verification
The industrialization of perovskite solar cells has accelerated significantly, marked by three key advancements: the formation of equipment supply capabilities, the commissioning of 100MW-scale production lines, and the continuous verification of megawatt-scale power plants:
Leading enterprises are driving mass production. Jingshan Light Machinery has announced the mass delivery of perovskite photovoltaic equipment, becoming one of the first domestic enterprises with large-scale supply capacity. Polaris Solar Energy’s 150MW pilot line has operated continuously for nearly three years since its completion in late 2022, with a stable yield of approximately 95%. The first phase of its GW-scale production line was commissioned in early 2025, and after six months of capacity ramping and process optimization, it has officially started shipping with a yield of around 90%.
Demonstration projects are transitioning from “point tests” to “scenario-based verification.” Currently operational perovskite power plants include megawatt-scale projects with the longest stable operation approaching two years. Huaneng Group recently commissioned a 5MW ground-mounted perovskite power plant—the largest of its kind in China. Additional projects, including a 8.58MW project at SPIC Daqing Base and a 6.8MW distributed project in Wuxi, are scheduled for completion within the year, with 10MW-scale single projects expected in 2026. These projects provide long-term data support for verifying technical stability and power generation performance.
The industry is currently in a critical transition phase from “technically feasible” to “commercially feasible.” Enterprises are accelerating the construction of integrated industrial chains covering equipment manufacturing, material supply, and module packaging to seize first-mover advantages. With expanding installed capacity and declining costs, perovskite is expected to enter the large-scale industrialization stage within three years, moving from pilot demonstration to commercial application.