Perovskite solar cells can now convert over 25% of sunlight into electricity, matching conventional silicon panels, but they fall apart within months rather than lasting the 20 years that silicon panels guarantee. This project aims to build repairable perovskite materials that regenerate themselves after degrading, so the devices heal rather than need replacement. The problem is twofold: perovskite solar cells degrade rapidly when exposed to humidity, oxygen, light, or flexing, and disposing of aged modules is costly and environmentally unfriendly. Current commercialisation is blocked by this short lifespan. The researchers will study the reversible chemical processes behind perovskite degradation, then engineer materials that can turn aged products back into fresh devices without energy-intensive decommissioning. If successful, this could produce solar panels with built-in recyclability—extending device lifetimes substantially while reducing disposal burdens. That would remove a major barrier to large-scale deployment of perovskite photovoltaics, which currently offer the best hope for cheap, high-efficiency solar energy. The impact would be on energy grids and manufacturing supply chains: longer-lasting panels mean fewer replacements, less waste, and lower lifecycle costs for solar installations.
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With their power conversion efficiency now surpassing 25% and rivalling those based on conventional silicon, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer maximum potential in decarbonising the future energy supply. Nevertheless, the commercialisation of PSCs has generally been hindered by their limited stability, often associated with the degradation of constituents triggered by various environmental, mechanical and device-related stressors (e.g. humidity, oxygen, light and flexing), resulting in a device lifespan significantly inferior to conventional PV technologies (e.g. 20 years guaranteed for commercial silicon PV panels). In addition, the decommissioning and disposal of aged perovskites PV modules can be both costly and environment unfriendly. To overcome these remaining barriers, Rep- PPV aims to develop more sustainable halide perovskite materials and devices capable of regenerating themselves after degradation. These are not only capable of extending their current device lifespan, but also can substantially alleviate the disposal requirements. This will be achieved through a comprehensive understanding and control of the reversible processes responsible for the degradation of halide perovskite materials (through rational materials engineering) such that the aged products can be turned into fresh devices again, without the need for resource- and energy-intensive decommissioning and replacement. To deliver Rep-PPV, the researcher's existing expertise will be advanced by receiving trainings on; personal development, supervision and mentoring, materials and device simulation, operation and maintenance of specific research facilities particularly for in-situ study as well as health and safety. Rep-PPV will establish a new generation of sustainable perovskite PV technologies with built-in recyclability, thereby paving the way for their large-scale and sustainable deployment across a range of application areas.
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