Perovskite solar cell
Also known as: perovskite solar, perovskite photovoltaics, perovskite-silicon tandem cell
A perovskite solar cell uses a class of crystal materials called perovskites to turn sunlight into electricity.
They can be made cheaply from solutions, like printing, and their efficiency has risen faster than any other solar technology. Stacked on top of silicon in 'tandem' cells, they've passed 35% efficiency in labs, beyond what silicon alone can reach. While the lab records are dazzling, the big unsolved problem is durability: perovskites degrade much faster than the silicon panels on today's roofs.
Perovskite solar cell, explained at three levels
At home
Think of sunlight as a rainbow of colours, each carrying a different amount of energy. A solar cell is like a net that catches that light and turns it into electricity. Silicon is today's standard net. Perovskites are a family of crystals that make an excellent net too, and they can be made from liquid inks, almost like printing, at low temperatures. Their weakness is that they wear out much faster.
At work
A perovskite solar cell uses a crystal material with a specific structure to turn sunlight into electricity. Stacked on top of silicon, it forms a tandem cell that captures more of the sun's energy than silicon alone. That could mean more power from the same roof or field, which matters where space is limited, but durability still has to be proven.
At home
Each solar material has a band gap, the minimum energy of light it can turn into electricity. Light with less energy passes straight through, and any extra energy is wasted as heat. In a tandem cell, a perovskite layer on top, tuned to a higher band gap, captures high-energy blue light efficiently, while the silicon underneath catches the red and infrared light that passes through. Together they convert more sunlight than either could alone.
At work
Perovskite is a crystal structure, not one material. Solar versions usually combine lead, a halide such as iodide or bromide, and organic or cesium ions, and changing the mix tunes the band gap. They can be deposited at low temperatures on glass, flexible film, or silicon, enabling lightweight and building-integrated panels. Key metrics are efficiency, degradation under heat, moisture, and light, and passing certification standards such as IEC 61215 and IEC 61730.
At home
Perovskite crystals are held together by fairly weak ionic bonds, so heat, moisture, and even light can make ions drift and the crystal break down. Good encapsulation slows this, but decades of field data do not exist yet. Many high-performing versions also contain small amounts of lead. While the efficiency gains are real, in my opinion encapsulation and recycling plans need to come before mass deployment, not after.
At work
Commercial viability hinges on field lifetime, since buyers and lenders expect 25 to 30 years of output. Evaluate accelerated aging data such as damp-heat and light-soaking tests, warranty terms, bankability for project finance, and manufacturing yield at full module size. Record efficiencies are usually measured on small cells, often about one square centimetre, and full-size modules lose several percentage points, so certified module efficiency is the more useful benchmark.
Real-world examples
At home
Aisha read a headline about a 'record-breaking' solar cell and wondered if she should wait before installing panels. Her installer explained that perovskite panels weren't yet widely available with long warranties, so silicon was still the practical choice.
At work
Fatima is an R&D manager at a Canadian building materials company exploring solar glass for office towers. Perovskites' ability to be made semi-transparent and lightweight interests her team, though they need durability data before offering warranties.
How it compares
| feature | Perovskite solar cell | Silicon solar cell |
|---|---|---|
| Lab efficiency | Over 35% in tandem cells | About 28% record, near its limit |
| Manufacturing | Low-temperature, solution-based | High-temperature, energy-intensive |
| Durability | Unproven over decades | 25+ years proven |
| Market status | Early commercial | Dominant |
Perovskites could push solar past silicon's limits if they can last as long.
For analysts
When a vendor cites a record efficiency, ask whether it's a tiny lab cell or a full-size module, and what the warranty says. I'd base investment decisions on certified module data and degradation testing.
History & origin
The mineral perovskite was discovered in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1839 and named after Lev Perovski. In 2009, Tsutomu Miyasaka's team in Japan reported the first perovskite solar cell, at about 3.8% efficiency. Within a decade, single-junction cells exceeded 25%, a pace that took silicon decades. Oxford PV, a spinout from the University of Oxford, began commercial shipments of perovskite-on-silicon tandem modules in 2024, and Chinese manufacturers including LONGi set successive tandem cell records, reaching roughly 35% in certified lab tests by 2026. Several companies have small production lines, but mass production remains limited. In my view, perovskites are the most exciting solar technology in decades, and also the one where press releases most outrun reality.