Circular economy for perovskite solar cells – drivers, progress and challenges

Abstract

Lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are an emerging solar photovoltaic (PV) technology on the cusp of commercialisation, promising to deliver the lowest cost solar energy to date (>32 $/MWh)....

Toward the Commercialization of Perovskite Solar Modules

“…For the LCOE calculation, the initial installation cost I t consists of modules, inverters, other BOS equipment, installation labor, project overhead costs, land fees, transportation, taxes, etc. [57,58,[131][132][133] Light and flexible modules have reduced weight that allows for alternative mounting methods that, for instance, do not require additional racking used for heavy modules but can be placed conformally to the roof (Figure 7g). [131][132][133] This will contribute to a significant reduction in installation labor and racking costs.…”

“…[57,58,[131][132][133] Light and flexible modules have reduced weight that allows for alternative mounting methods that, for instance, do not require additional racking used for heavy modules but can be placed conformally to the roof (Figure 7g). [131][132][133] This will contribute to a significant reduction in installation labor and racking costs. Metacarpa et al reported up to a 47% cost reduction in hardware installation labor through the change from rigid to flexible PV modules.…”

“…From the analysis above, lead-containing PSCs on rigid glass substrates have shown lower lead concentration below the limit in the RoHS Directive (even less than one-fiftieth of solders used in the silicon PV industry) and slightly higher concentration than the limit in RCRA, and can be even used as portable applications and merely requires additional waste-disposal costs that could be mitigated by recycling the modules. [131,137] From these aspects, some views are tempted to conclude that the amount of lead in perovskite modules is too low to create risk for human beings and the environment. However, different from the metallic form, the low amount of lead in perovskites is more toxic, even than its decomposition products like PbI 2 .…”

Indoor Energy Harvesting With Perovskite Solar Cells for IoT Applications─A Full Year Monitoring Study

“…Similarly, perovskite solar cells (PSC), a novel PV technology, could be efficiently used for indoor applications. PSCs continue to attract research attention due to their excellent optoelectronic properties and low production costs, − resulting in enormous potential both as stand-alone SCs − as well as subcells of tandem solar cells. − Their high power conversion efficiency (PCE), higher (and tunable) bandgap than c-Si and therefore higher open-circuit voltage − make them a potentially attractive option for low-light, energy harvesting applications. ,,, The less harsh conditions of indoor operation compared with field operation mean that indoor PV is a promising niche for perovskite technology. Namely, achieving stability and longevity of PSCs remains one of the most elusive challenges of the technology, as a typical device lifetime is usually measured in days or months instead of years due to sensitivity to temperature and humidity-induced degradation, which are within much less damaging ranges in indoor conditions …”

Polymer Lewis Base for Improving the Charge Transfer in Tin–Lead Mixed Perovskite Solar Cells

“…In recent years, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has experienced rapid advancements, surpassing 26% [ 1 ] and approaching the efficiency levels of the best currently available silicon solar cells [ 1 ]. This underscores the promising application potential of perovskite solar cells [ 2 ]. However, the commercial utilization of pure lead (Pb)-based perovskites is still hindered by their toxicity [ 3 ].…”