Researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK designed an environmentally friendly perovskite solar cell in which lead is substituted for tin with reportedly undiminished rates of performance but at cheaper cost and with lower toxicity.

The team stated that tin-based perovskites are much more stable than previously thought, and also render solar power cheaper, safer and possibly even more commercially attractive. "The device structure can be greatly simplified without compromising performance, which leads to the important advantage of reduced fabrication cost" the scientists say.

Researchers at Australia's University of New South Wales announced the achievement of the highest efficiency rating with the largest perovskite solar cells to date. The 12.1% efficiency rating was for a 16 cm2 perovskite solar cell, the largest single perovskite photovoltaic cell certified with the highest energy conversion efficiency, and was independently confirmed by the international testing centre Newport Corp, in Bozeman, Montana. The new cell is at least 10 times bigger than the current certified high-efficiency perovskite solar cells on record.

The researchers also achieved an 18% efficiency rating on a 1.2 cm2 single perovskite cell, and an 11.5% for a 16 cm2 four-cell perovskite mini-module, both independently certified by Newport. The team estimated that it will be be able to "get to 24% within a year or so".

Oxford PV has announced a joint development agreement with an unnamed global solar cell and module manufacturer, as an additional step in the company's quest for commercialization of its perovskite solar technology.

The two companies will will work together to move Oxford PV's technology from lab scale to manufacturing-ready status, with most of the work taking place at the pilot line site in Germany that Oxford PV acquired recently.