Bringing promising solar cell technologies out of the lab and into commercial products is harder than hitting efficiency records. Researchers at Empa and partner institutions analyzed two emerging thin-film photovoltaic materials to understand why many novel technologies stall before reaching broad adoption. Their work, published in Nature Energy, shows that early collaboration between scientists and industry is vital to navigate pitfalls that go beyond laboratory performance, tells Tech Xplore.
The study focused on copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and perovskite solar cells, both of which have demonstrated high conversion efficiencies in controlled settings. CIGS technology once attracted significant investment and spawned companies in the 1990s and 2000s as silicon prices climbed. Despite setting lab records, CIGS struggled to scale because its manufacturing processes remained costly and complex. When silicon panel prices dropped again, CIGS lost commercial momentum.
Perovskite materials have risen rapidly over the past two decades, offering lightweight, flexible, potentially printable solar cells. By 2025, global investment in perovskite research surpassed $500 million. At Empa, perovskite cells are in development and being commercialized by the spin-off Perovskia Solar. Despite strong lab efficiencies, these cells remain sensitive to environmental factors and lack a robust track record under long-term, real-world conditions.
The researchers point out that efficiency alone doesn’t guarantee commercial success. Stability, durability, manufacturability, and cost all weigh heavily in real markets. They advocate a shift in academic focus toward these practical aspects early in the development process. Instead of treating CIGS and perovskite as rivals to silicon, the team sees them as complementary options that can fill niches silicon panels can’t, such as in Internet of Things devices, mobility applications, or flexible surfaces. Future tandem configurations combining silicon with thin films could also push efficiencies higher while addressing practical deployment needs.
Understanding these broader hurdles could help align research goals with industry paths, increasing the chances that tomorrow’s lab breakthroughs become today’s standard solar products.