New research drives perovskite solar cells toward real-world applications

New research drives perovskite solar cells toward real-world applications
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 17, 2025

Perovskites, a family of materials defined by their crystal structure rather than elemental composition, are emerging as a low-cost, efficient, and adaptable alternative to silicon in solar power. Nam-Gyu Park, a pioneer in the field who developed the first working perovskite solar cell, is now working to move the technology closer to market readiness by improving its durability and scalability.

Park's breakthroughs include enhancing crystal quality and preventing degradation caused by moisture, heat, and light. Laboratory cells now achieve conversion efficiencies of around 27 percent, up from 9 percent in early prototypes. However, the challenge remains to match the 25-year stability of silicon cells. "To be truly competitive, perovskite solar cells would have to last as long as silicon solar cells. That is over 25 years. We're not there yet, but we're working on it," Park explained.

Nanostructured materials are central to this effort. By reducing surface defects, improving charge separation, and minimizing energy loss, nanostructures can boost both efficiency and stability. They also broaden the potential applications of perovskite devices, enabling lightweight, flexible designs suitable for wearables, sensors, building-integrated photovoltaics, vehicle systems, and even satellites, where radiation tolerance is crucial.

"For me, the biggest motivation is contributing to a sustainable energy future," said Park. He emphasized that while silicon technology faces cost and efficiency limits, perovskites could support energy demand at the terawatt to petawatt scale, including rising requirements from artificial intelligence.

At the University of Stuttgart's Institute for Photovoltaics, Park joins long-time collaborator Michael Saliba. Together, they plan to test new material combinations, including semiconducting polymers and inorganic layers, which promise greater environmental compatibility and longer device lifetimes. Park will also lead in-situ experiments to study excited states in perovskites under illumination, offering deeper insights into their behavior.

Saliba welcomed the collaboration, noting the complementary strengths of their groups: "While Prof. Park shares our interest in materials science fundamentals and structural optimization, our group also focuses on scalable manufacturing and process control." The partnership is expected to strengthen scientific cooperation between Germany and South Korea.

"I'm looking forward to working with the Stuttgart team," Park said. "It's a great opportunity to combine our strengths."