Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have attained a record efficiency of 24.35% in an inverted-structure perovskite solar cell which marks the first time such a high efficiency has been achieved in a perovskite solar cell with a 1 cm2 active area.

The notable success can be primarily attributed to the incorporation of an inventive charge-transporting material within the cells.

The team said the achievement sets a new benchmark for the efficiency of perovskite solar cells and offers promising prospects for cheaper, more efficient, and durable solar energy solutions.

Closing the Efficiency Gap

Led by Assistant Professor Hou Yi, a team of researchers from NUS focused on bridging the efficiency gap and unlocking the full potential of larger-sized perovskite solar cell devices.

The achievement was made possible by successfully incorporating an undisclosed novel interface material into perovskite solar cells, which enabled the cells to achieve higher efficiency than the normal-structured perovskite cells.

Researchers said this interface material possesses optical, electrical, and chemical properties that synergistically enhance the efficiency and longevity of perovskite solar cells.

The introduction of this material paved the way for significant improvements in performance and durability, making perovskite solar cells more commercially viable.

To ensure the long-term viability of perovskite solar cells, the team is actively working on improving their stability. Perovskite materials are sensitive to moisture and can degrade over time.

Developing a customized aging methodology is a key focus to bringing this technology from outside the lab, with the goal of achieving 25 years of operational stability.

Additionally, the researchers are working on scaling the solar cells to modules by expanding their dimensions and demonstrating their effectiveness on a larger scale.

In a similar research, scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology combined perovskite top cells on industrially compatible, two-sided, textured silicon bottom cells and developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 33.2%.

Experts from North Carolina State University said in an experiment that channeling ions into defined pathways in perovskite materials improves perovskite solar cells’ stability and operational performance.