Imec and partners show outdoor stability of highly anticipated perovskite solar modules

LEUVEN (Belgium), JANUARY 7, 2025—Imec, partner in EnergyVille, in collaboration with the University of Cyprus, has demonstrated long-term outdoor stability of perovskite solar modules. Mini-modules of 4 cm2, developed at imec/EnergyVille, were comprehensively evaluated over two years in real-world conditions in Cyprus, with a remarkable power efficiency retention of 78 percent after one year, which current perovskite solar modules only retain for weeks. These promising findings are among the first real-world results to address the stability issues that currently hinder perovskite solar cells from commercialization.

Over the last decade, metal halide perovskites have emerged as a promising material for next-generation photovoltaic (PV) cells, thanks to their unique optical and electronic properties. With advancements in materials and engineering, these cells have shown a rapid improvement in their power conversion efficiency (PCE).

However, stability challenges remain the primary obstacle to widespread adoption, as they degrade due to moisture, light and heat. Standard indoor testing in a controlled environment, which continuously mimics sun irradiation, only serves as a proxy for real-world performance. Environmental conditions, such as varying light, temperature and weather, impact cell performance. Despite this, only a handful of research groups have investigated outdoor performance of perovskite PV, focusing primarily on small cells rather than modules.

Over the last two years, imec conducted a comprehensive study of the outdoor performance of their perovskite PV modules. Mini-modules, measuring 4 cm2 and developed at imo-imomec Hasselt University and imec/EnergyVille in Belgium, were tested in collaboration with the University of Cyprus. The most durable modules retained 78 percent of their initial PCE after a year outdoors in Cyprus. This showcases their promising stability compared to current perovskite solar modules, which retain such outdoor efficiency for only weeks to months. Thanks to the outdoor set-up, a consistent pattern of performance degradation during the day and overnight recovery was also discovered. Additionally, the wealth of data allowed exploration with a machine learning model, which showed a strong correlation with the actual power output, highlighting its potential for future performance predictions.

“This research represents a major advancement in understanding the degradation of perovskite solar modules in real-world conditions. With further improvements of the efficiency of our mini-modules, which are designed with upscaling in mind, these findings can accelerate the path towards commercialization of this promising technology,” stated Tom Aernouts, R&D Manager at imec/UHasselt/EnergyVille.

To gain deeper insights into degradation behaviour across different climate zones, the modules will also be evaluated in the rainy climate of Brussels, the arid desert of New Mexico, and the moderate climates of Madrid and Freiburg.

The findings are described in full in the article ‘Diurnal Changes and Machine Learning Analysis of Perovskite Modules Based on Two Years of Outdoor Monitoring’, which can be found in ACS Energy Letters.

This research was partly funded by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488).

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About imec

Imec is a world-leading research and innovation center in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Imec leverages its state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure and its team of more than 5,500 employees and top researchers, for R&D in advanced semiconductor and system scaling, silicon photonics, artificial intelligence, beyond 5G communications and sensing technologies, and in application domains such as health and life sciences, mobility, industry 4.0, agrofood, smart cities, sustainable energy, education, … Imec unites world-industry leaders across the semiconductor value chain, Flanders-based and international tech, pharma, medical and ICT companies, start-ups, and academia and knowledge centers. Imec is headquartered in Leuven (Belgium), and has research sites across Belgium, in the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, and representation in 3 continents. In 2023, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 941 million euro.

Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of imec International and its affiliated entities.

About EnergyVille

EnergyVille is a collaboration between the Belgian research partners KU Leuven, VITO, imec and UHasselt in the fields of sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems. EnergyVille develops technology and knowledge to support public and private stakeholders in the transition to an energy efficient, decarbonised and sustainable urban environment. The unique complementarity of the research partners allows us to integrate the energy system value chain in its entirety, ranging from materials and components to the level of entire energy systems, business models and strategies. Our activities are clustered in eight interdisciplinary domains: solar energy, battery storage, power electronics, power-to-molecules, thermal systems, electrical networks, energy for buildings and districts, energy strategies and markets.

With approximately 750 researchers and state-of-the-art research facilities, EnergyVille is a top European innovation hub in the energy field. It bundles research, development and training under one roof and collaborates closely with local, regional, national and international partners from industry as well as public authorities.

As an energy R&D innovation hub, located in the industry-oriented ecosystem of Thor Park (Genk, Belgium), EnergyVille offers an attractive environment for energy research, industrial product development and business creation. The collaboration is supported by the city of Genk, the Province of Limburg, LRM, Nuhma, POM Limburg and the European structural funds.

About imo-imomec

Imo-imomec is a joint research institute of Hasselt University and imec where chemists, physicists and engineers conduct multidisciplinary materials research. We focus on advanced material systems for a sustainable and healthy society. Our core domains are energy conversion, energy storage, sustainable materials, sensors & healthcare materials and quantum technologies.

We are committed to the following activities within EnergyVille:

• Materials and innovations in thin-film solar cells
• Reliability and integration of photovoltaic systems
• Materials and cell innovations for lithium-ion and next-generation batteries
• Material innovations for generation of green hydrogen and for CO2 conversion