Kaust set to commercialize perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells: The research team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) Solar Center — which broke world records last year for their innovations in solar system tech — have revealed a roadmap for bringing their perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel systems to Saudi Arabia’s market, according to research published in Science.

REMEMBER- Last year Kaust’s patented tandem panels achieved a power conversion efficiency rate of 33.2%, which was 0.7 percentage points higher from previous global record holder Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. The center also obtained certification for their solar cell from the European Solar Test Installation, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s listed their panel on their Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart.

There are some challenges: Despite forecasts by the study’s lead author Stefaan De Wolf that the perovskite/silicon tandem panel market could be valued at USD 10 bn within ten years, obstacles include high manufacturing costs and the lack of market verification systems guaranteeing the tech’s adaptability to varying temperatures compared to lab settings. The wide scale adoption of tandem cells would require achieving a levelized cost of electricity lower than mainstream silicon technology, and suggests expanding geographical testing to optimize performance for specific regions.

And stability concerns: While other researchers beyond Kaust — including the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory — have similarly attained higher energy efficiency rates of up to 31.25% from perovskite-based panels, prolonged stability testing is still needed to measure degradation rates and ensure the systems have a decades-long life cycle before bringing the tech to the market, the study’s authors note .

Perovskite is getting backing from major players: Venture capital firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures — backed by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates — has been investing in US-based solar company CubicPV, which coats its silicon solar panels’ with perovskite to reach an energy efficiency rate of 30%. The company will take part in a new Massachusetts Institute of Technology research center with the aim of utilizing artificial intelligence and automation to upscale the production capacity of tandem perovskite panels, and will set up a 10 GW US-based silicon wafer plant to hasten perovskite tandem panel deployments.

Tags: