Lightweight perovskite charges up solar potential

By Dr. Tim Sandle
August 18, 2025

EDITOR AT LARGE

DIGITAL JOURNAL

An aerial view of solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant outside the town of Ouarzazate. Morocco has already bet heavily on clean energy - Copyright AFP/File FADEL SENNA

The perovskite photovoltaic market is forecast to exceed US$11.75 billion by 2035. Yet this is not with the technology standing still. How will the energy and decarbonization sector progress?

In 2021, solar installations were seen to overtake wind generation, and in 2023, approximately 450GW of new solar capacity was recorded. This alteration is charted in IDTechEx’s report “Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Trends“.

The report explores the rise of perovskite integration into the photovoltaic market alongside key players and forecasts within the sector.

Solar cells and silicon

Solar cells are used to convert light into electricity. The active layer absorbs light and, as a result, causes the generation of free electrons, which can move about the material, in turn creating a positive hole. When the electrons and holes collect at opposite electrodes, an electrical circuit is produced, which can then power an external load.

Silicon has long been used as an active semiconductor material within solar cells. Silicon solar technologies make up the majority of solar power installations, with decarbonization regulations and governmental support in many economies worldwide helping to drive its uptake.

The introduction of perovskite

Silicon solar will reach its efficiency limit however, according to the report, and has a centralized supply chain from China. With ongoing economic uncertainties globally and countries wanting to reduce reliance on other countries where possible, alternative options for solar power technologies are being explored as a result, including perovskite photovoltaics.

Perovskite may be used to enhance the efficiency of solar cells and fill in for applications that silicon may not be best suited to. Perovskite solar cells are known for their light weight and flexibility, in contrast to silicon solar, which is more rigid. They are a type of thin-film solar device whereby the perovskite active layer is deposited onto a substrate, such as glass or plastic, between electron and hole transport layers and electrodes. They also have lower production costs than other alternatives, making them a favourable option for photovoltaics manufacturers.

Types of perovskites under development

Solution-based processing, used to manufacture perovskites, is both scalable and has opportunities to become automated, helping to lower manufacturing costs in the long run. Production costs can also be saved as perovskite solar cells are made with relatively abundant and low-cost materials, pointing to the growing feasibility of their uptake.

All-perovskite tandem solar cells describe two layers of perovskite PV stacked on top of one another. The materials can be tailored to alter their optical properties in order to convert different wavelengths of light. Perovskite solar could also be integrated with silicon to increase the maximum power conversion efficiency of the device up to 43%.

The way forward for photovoltaics

Perovskite, as a relatively new material for photovoltaics, will enable a novel approach to this technology as a lighter and more adaptable material, with the option to combine its benefits with those of incumbent silicon solar cells for increased performance.