A team of scientists in South Korea has created a new type of solar cell that stays strong and efficient, even in extreme heat and humidity.
This breakthrough brings perovskite solar cells—a promising alternative to traditional silicon panels—one step closer to real-world use.
The study, led by Professor Dong Suk Kim at UNIST and Professor Tae Kyung Lee at Gyeongsang National University, focused on solving one of the biggest problems with perovskite solar cells: their poor heat resistance.
While these cells are cheaper to produce and can convert sunlight to electricity more efficiently than silicon panels, they tend to break down when exposed to high temperatures or moisture.
To solve this issue, the team developed a protective film that shields the solar cell during a key part of manufacturing called encapsulation.
This process seals the cell to protect it from oxygen and water, but it also involves high heat—something perovskite cells usually can’t handle.
The researchers made a smart change to the material used in the cell’s hole transport layer, which helps move electric charges.
Normally, a chemical called tBP is used, but it causes the layer to soften at low temperatures—less than 80°C—making the cell unstable. The team replaced it with ethylene carbonate (EC), which raises the softening point to 125°C, allowing the cell to survive the heat.
The result was a solar cell with an impressive initial efficiency of 25.56%, meaning it can turn over a quarter of the sunlight it receives into electricity.
Even after 1,000 hours in tough conditions—85°C heat and 85% humidity—it kept 85% of that efficiency, still performing at 21.7%.
That’s a big improvement compared to earlier versions.
Even when scaled up to a larger size of 100 square centimeters, the solar module remained highly efficient, reaching 22.14%. The EC also helped the cell work better by allowing another chemical (LiTFSI) to mix evenly, improving its overall performance.
Professor Kim says this research is an important step forward: “We’ve built a solar cell that keeps working in real-life conditions. This could help make perovskite solar cells a practical option for everyday energy use.”
Now, with better durability and strong performance, perovskite cells may soon be ready to power homes, buildings, and more—even in hot, humid climates.
