Scientists estimate lifetime as well as efficiency required for PSCs to end up being affordable for domestic use

• A global study group that included teams from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Fribourg, the University of the Basque Country and also the University of New South Wales has actually assessed the levels of efficiency and stability that perovskite solar cells (PSCs) need to attain in order to end up being an economically viable technology to compete with crystalline silicon cells in the rooftop segment.

The scientists assessed the needed lifetime (LT) of a perovskite module, which they defined as the moment until a module has 80% of its initial efficiency, as a feature of efficiencies to be affordable in the levelized cost of electrical power (LCOE). They discovered that perovskite solar modules might need to provide 20% efficiency for at the very least 36 years, or 25% efficiency for a minimum of 21 years, if they want to take on standard PV panels.

The group discussed that this means that despite the considerably reduced manufacturing costs of perovskites, it can be challenging to come to be affordable with silicon, mostly as a result of the low LT of present perovskite solar cells and also the restricted experience with perovskite module stability. Nevertheless, perovskite modern technology may get a boost if academics as well as sector will have the ability to reduce its installment and architectural balance-of-system (BOS) expenses, as these typically make up around 10% of a PV system prices.

The team assumed a levelized cost of electrical power for the United States of $0.119/ kWh to $0.136/ kW for household PV systems based on standard panels in 2021. Their quotes varied from $0.055/ kWh to $0.063/ kW for the exact same setups in 2030.

Their analysis revealed that by using flexible substrates, perovskite solar modules would need to attain lower target efficiencies of 15% and also LTs spanning from 13 to 22 years to compete with crystalline silicon in the 2021 scenario, and also efficiencies of 17% and LTs spanning from 16 to 34 years in the 2030 scenario.