Perovskites: An Emerging Technology in Solar Space

Abstract

The extent of interest which Perovsite technology is generating in solar research space is unprecedented. And there is a genuine rationale behind that. In the last one decade, the progress in efficiencies exhibited by Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) has gone up manifold. This is an outcome of the intensive research being done by various research organizations on efficiency enhancement of the PSCs and the various solar companies which are trying to bring this technology closer to large scale commercialization. The wide belief is that perovskites will be less expensive compared to conventional technology. While the perovskite technology is demonstrating a sea of opportunities, there is still a journey to cover. There are multiple research gaps on the road to commercialization of the perovskite technology which need to be addressed. The more important amongst them are durability and stability, rapid degradation due to UV, dissolution issue due to water exposure, degradation through oxygen and hysteresis behaviour. Having said that, the pace of research in solar space has been much faster compared to any other technology transformations the world has seen. And global warming and climate change related studies are further necessitating this pace to accelerate further. This article gives a brief history of perovskite, its technological progression, the research gaps as they stand today and what the future holds for this technology. Looking at the progress in perovskite technology, the world may not be far away from seeing a disruption in solar space.