Symposium ES1—Perovskite Solar Cells—Towards Commercialization

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials are currently under the spotlight as promising materials for new generation low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell technology. With merely five years of intensive research, power conversion efficiencies of laboratory-scale cells have rapidly increased to a level that is nearly on par with even the best crystalline silicone solar cells. On the other hand, there is still plenty of room for further improvements. In particular, in the next stage one of the most prominent tasks is to further advance such a technology and to make it amenable to industrialization. For example, rigorous perovskite synthesis processes need be established with minimum batch-to-batch variations. It is necessary to advance our capability to fabricate large-area modules. A major issue related to high-efficiency perovskite solar cells is the use of lead, the potential environmental impact of which need be thoroughly investigated. Because perovskite materials are susceptible to degradation upon air exposure, encapsulation is a must for long-term stability. Detailed realistic cost analysis is urgently needed in evaluating various fabrication processes taking into account cost-effectiveness in a mass production scenario. Various coating techniques with high throughput fabrication potential have been reported, and are likely the promising cost-efficient candidate fabrication methods. In parallel, continuing strong efforts are needed to address fundamental aspects of perovskite materials and solar cells.

The goal of this symposium is to gather scientists and engineers to discuss recent progresses, challenges, and future directions for perovskite solar cells. Invited leaders in this field will provide insights on the current status regarding technological aspects as well as the critical topics such as hysteresis, ion migration, toxicity, device stability under operation conditions, and so on.