Progress in Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells: Paving the Way for Scalable Manufacturing
Dimitar I. Kutsarov, Ehsan Rezaee, J. D.B. Lambert, Walter Tevis Stroud, Apostolos Panagiotopoulos, S. Ravi P. Silva
Abstract
Abstract The urgency for a sustainable mitigation of the environmental impacts caused by climate change highlights the importance of renewable energy technologies to fight this challenge. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) emerge as a promising alternative to traditional photovoltaic (PV) technologies due to their unprecedented increase in efficiency (currently peaking at 26.95%) and long‐term stability proven by the successful completion of industry relevant International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) testing standards. Flexible PSCs (f‐PSCs) offer significant advantages such as lightweight and high power‐per‐weight ratio, mechanical flexibility, and a high throughput roll‐to‐roll (R2R) manufacturing. These make f‐PSCs ideal for implementation in various applications areas, such as wearable electronics, portable devices, space PV, building‐ or automotive‐integrated PVs, and more. Notably, efficiencies over 23% now mark a significant milestone for f‐PSCs, demonstrating their competitiveness with traditional rigid solar panels. This review explores breakthroughs in f‐PSCs, focusing on flexible substrates, electrode materials, perovskite inks, and encapsulation strategies. It also covers recent advancements and studies of f‐PSCs fabricated by scalable deposition methods and emphasizes the importance of interfacial engineering and encapsulation in enhancing stability and durability. The review concludes with a summary of key findings, remaining challenges, and perspectives for the successful market uptake of f‐PSCs.