A Shortcut for Commercialization of Perovskites Solar Cells by a Recycling and Remanufacturing Strategy
Zhaoboxun Bao, Yaotao Luo, Lina Wang, Jing Dou, Lihua Wang, Yue Ma, Yujiang Du, Yisha Lan, Cheng Zhu, Haining Chen, Huanping Zhou, Yang Bai, Qi Chen
Abstract
Perovskite photovoltaics exhibit impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) and cost-effective manufacturing, developing as the most promising photovoltaic technology for commercialization beyond silicon. However, stability and end-of-life hazards remain significant challenges. Module recycling and remanufacturing could reduce costs and minimize Lead contamination risk. This study proposes a Recycling and Remanufacturing (R&R) strategy for perovskite-based PV technologies and evaluates their commercial viability by calculating the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Our findings indicate that when the PCE and lifetime of PSC modules reach 20% and 7 years (31% and 8 years for 2-terminal; 30% and 8 years for 4-terminal perovskite-silicon tandems), respectively, it can achieve an LCOE of 7.75 Cents/kWh, making it commercially competitive with silicon technology. The R&R strategy also minimizes the utilization of hazardous Pb, easing postprocessing pollution. These findings highlight the R&R strategy as a viable end-of-life solution for perovskite technology, which could accelerate its commercialization.