Perovskite is a relatively inexpensive material that has attracted thousands of researchers since 2009, when a team of scientists in Japan first demonstrated its use in solar cells. They achieved an solar energy conversion efficiency of little more than 3%, but since science loves a challenge, that was just the beginning of the story. In the latest chapter, the US firms Heliene and Caeulux have just introduced a new perovskite-enabled solar module that hits the jackpot at up to 27% efficiency, and it is already in commercial production, no less.

So far in the renewable energy transition, silicon has shouldered much of the heavy lifting due to its excellent solar conversion properties. Still, silicon is relatively expensive material that demands a complex manufacturing process. Perovskite is the reverse. Based on a naturally occurring mineral, synthetic perovskites can be lab-grown and applied to solar cell fabrication in a high volume, high throughput process similar to roll-to-roll manufacturing and other solution-based methods (see lots more perovskite background here).

There being no such thing as a free lunch, “raw” perovskite is challenged by natural conditions, namely, humidity. Tweaking the formula with other, more durable materials can resolve that problem. Researchers have also developed a tandem solution, in which a perovskite layer rests upon a silicon layer, providing an efficiency boost while minimizing the additional cost.

In the US solar market, the sticky wicket is the current state of federal energy, trade, and tax polices. Still, the red-hot demand for solar energy in the US has motivated solar stakeholders to steamroll over those obstacles, attracting overseas investors ( here’s one example) as well as new domestic ventures.

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