Developed the first perovskite solar cell expected to have a 30-year lifespan

Princeton University researchers announced that they have developed a perovskite solar cell, which they say has a lifespan of about 30 years. The team used a new accelerated aging technique to measure the durability of solar panel cells.

Longest life in the industry for solar cells

While the fact that perovskite solar cells are not stable enough and their performance degrades over time under sunlight is considered a problem, Princeton researchers addressed these issues by adding an ultra-thin cover layer between the light-absorbing perovskite layer and the load-bearing layer.

The new layer, which is stated to be about 20 nanometers thick, consists of carbon disulfide, lead, iodine and chlorine and prevents the device from burning in a few weeks.

The team used a new accelerated aging technique to test the durability of the perovskite solar cells they developed. In this context, solar cells were placed in rooms where they were exposed to four different temperatures from 35 °C to 110 °C and bright light. Based on the test data, the researchers concluded that the cells could operate outdoors for about 30 years. They point out that this is much longer than the 20 years shown as the industry standard.

In addition to stating that their work will be an important step towards making more stable perovskite solar panel cells, the team said that the durability of any type of solar cell can be tested with the new accelerated aging technique they have developed.