New bendable solar cells hit 21.6% efficiency under heat, humidity

A European consortium called PEARL has made significant advances in developing flexible, low-cost perovskite solar cells with carbon electrodes, achieving over 21% power conversion efficiency (PCE) on bendable substrates and aiming for a 25% efficiency target. Utilizing roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing techniques, the project has demonstrated scalable production methods suitable for flexible, thin-film solar modules. These developments position the technology for applications including building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. A key breakthrough is the improved durability of these solar cells, which remain stable for over 2,000 hours under harsh conditions of 85°C and 85% humidity, thanks to a new protective encapsulation. The use of carbon electrodes not only enhances stability but also supports environmental goals by reducing production costs below 0.3 EUR/Wp and minimizing carbon emissions to less than 0.01 kg CO2eq/kWh. Various partners in the