The device is claimed to be the first of its kind to rival the performance of silicon-based cells, which have dominated the solar market since their introduction in 1954. Princeton projects that the device can perform above industry standards for around 30 years, far more than the 20 years used as a threshold for solar cells.

Perovskites are semiconductors with a special crystal structure that makes them well suited for solar cell technology. They can be manufactured at room temperature, using less energy than silicon, making them cheaper and more sustainable to produce. Whereas silicon is stiff and opaque, perovskites can be made flexible and transparent. Unlike silicon, however, perovskites are notoriously fragile.

The projected lifetime of the new device represents a five-fold increase over the previous record, set by a lower efficiency PSC in 2017. That device operated under continuous illumination at room temperature for one year. The new device would operate for five years under similar lab conditions, claim the researchers.

The Princeton team, led by Lynn Loo, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, revealed the new device and new method for testing in a paper recently published in Science. According to Loo, the new accelerated ageing technique is the most significant part of the work. Due to perovskites’ well-known frailty, long-term testing hasn’t been much of a concern until now. As the devices get better and last longer, testing one design against another will become crucial in rolling out durable, consumer-friendly technologies, she says.

‘These kinds of tests are going to be increasingly important,’ Loo states. ‘You can make the most efficient solar cells, but it won’t matter if they aren’t stable.’

Calls for more diverse solar supply chains
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for more action to expand and diversify production of solar panels whose global supply chains are currently heavily concentrated in China, to ensure a secure transition to net zero emissions.

According to the IEA Special Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, although Chinese industrial and innovation policies have helped solar PV become the most affordable electricity generation technology in many parts of the world, this has also led to imbalances in solar PV supply chains.

China’s share in all the key manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80% today, according to the report. For key elements including polysilicon and wafers, this is set to rise to more than 95% in the coming years, based on current manufacturing capacity under construction.

Meeting international energy and climate goals requires the global deployment of solar PV to grow on an unprecedented scale. This in turn demands a major expansion in manufacturing capacity, raising concerns about the world’s ability to rapidly develop resilient supply chains.

Governments and other stakeholders around the world have begun to pay increasing attention to solar PV’s manufacturing supply chains as high commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks have led to an increase of around 20% in solar panel prices over the last year. These challenges – particularly apparent in the market for polysilicon – have resulted in delays in solar PV deliveries across the globe and higher prices. The IEA argues that these challenges call for even greater attention and efforts by policymakers going forward.

Commenting on the report, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol says: ‘As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they need to ensure that their transition towards a sustainable energy system is built on secure foundations. Solar PV’s global supply chains will need to be scaled up in a way that ensures they are resilient, affordable and sustainable.’