Researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland have stabilized perovskite solar cells by integrating metallic element rubidium into them, driving power-conversion efficiency to a staggering 22%.

The research outlines the integration of rubidium cations into perovskites; The perovskites maintained stability for more than 500 continuous hours in full sunlight at 85°C. The project team has already submitted a patent based on their innovation.

Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), ZSW and IMEC presented at the PSCO international conference a prototype of the new solar module using thin-film technology. According to the researchers, an efficiency of 17.8% has been achieved in this prototype of a perovskite/CIGS tandem thin-film solar module, exceeding the efficiency of individual perovskite and CIGS solar modules for the very first time.

To create the new solar module, the researchers used a stack module. By merging both perovskite and CIGS into one module, the new structure could benefit from the advantages of both technologies. The upper semitransparent layer of the model is made of perovskite, which absorbs high solar energy. Meanwhile, the lower CIGS layer is responsible for infrared conversion. Having an area of 3.67 square meters, the stacked perovskite/CIGS model is also designed to meet industrial needs. It features a monolithic interconnection scheme using 4 and 7 module cell stripes. Unlike other small-scale solar cells, the new stacked solar module can be interconnected for several square meters through laser processing.

A team of researchers from Italy has created hybrid perovskite-graphene solar cells that show good stability upon exposure to sunlight, while still maintaining an impressive efficiency of over 18% - the highest reported efficiency of graphene perovskite hybrid solar cells to date.

Despite tremendous progress in Perovskite PV performance, the stability of these devices is still questionable. In particular, air and humidity degrade cell performance, as do continued exposure to sunlight and heat, setting back the advantages over other types of solar cells. Graphene and graphene-related materials (GRMs) have properties that make them shine in applications like protective layers, andso arise as natural candidates to protect PSCs from atmospheric degradation.

Researchers from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have achieved 10.77% conversion efficiency with perovskite solar cells made from quantum dots with no organic components.

Solutions of all-inorganic perovskite quantum dots, showing intense photoluminescence when illuminated with UV light

The result was achieved with a thin film made of nanocrystals of cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3). The team discovered a method to keep the crystal structure in the all-inorganic perovskite material stable at room temperature, something that was previously possible only at temperatures exceeding 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The use of methyl acetate as an anti-solvent to remove excess unreacted precursors proved a crucial step in increasing the nanocrystals’ stability.

Scientists at Oxford University have developed a solvent system with reduced toxicity that can be used to manufacture perovskite solar cells, which may clear one of the barriers to the commercialization of a technology.

By combining methylamine and acetonitrile, researchers have developed a clean solvent with a low boiling point and low viscosity that quickly crystallises perovskite films at room temperature and could be used to help coat large solar panels with the material.