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Perovskite solar cells could become cheaper to manufacture if thin-film, low-temperature processing and ink-based coating reduce factory steps, equipment needs, or production time. But those are cost-reduction opportunities, not proof that perovskite modules are already cheaper than silicon or available at lower installed cost. Published figures are scenario-based manufacturing models; commercial-scale production and long operating lifetimes have not yet been established.
Where perovskite manufacturing costs could fall
A perovskite cell uses a metal-halide perovskite as its light-absorbing layer, alongside other layers that move electrical charges to contacts. In a general process described by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), precursor salts are mixed into an ink or deposited by vapor methods, formed into an ultrathin film and heated. Other functional layers are added, cells are interconnected by laser scribing, and the resulting modules receive encapsulant and edge seals for weather protection. Specific processes vary among research groups.
DOE identifies low-temperature processing and printing active layers from inks as possible ways to reduce process steps and capital expenditure. Whether a factory actually saves money depends on more than the price of the perovskite ingredients: equipment, labor, facility costs, production yield, throughput, module efficiency, and protection against degradation all affect the result.
Sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll production
These are two thin-film manufacturing formats, not proven rankings of which route is cheapest. Sheet-to-sheet deposits layers on a rigid base; roll-to-roll deposits layers on a flexible base. Large-area uniformity, yield, module integration, encapsulation, and demonstrated durability all matter when comparing them.
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| Route | Substrate and process format | Relevant scale-up question |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet-to-sheet | Layers are deposited on a rigid base. | Can the process maintain uniform, high-performing material across module-sized areas? The DOE identifies large-area uniformity as a challenge. DOE |
| Roll-to-roll | Layers are deposited on a flexible base. | Can coating speed and output be raised without sacrificing area-wide performance or making encapsulation impractical? The DOE notes performance and rigid-encapsulation challenges in earlier thin-film technologies. DOE |
For either route, a high nominal line speed is not enough: usable output also depends on uniformity, defects, yield, post-deposition treatment, equipment and facility footprint, and module finishing. The available evidence does not establish a universally lowest-cost manufacturing route.
Why factory throughput and module efficiency matter
A factory can spread fixed equipment and facility costs over more output when it produces at higher throughput. Higher module efficiency can also reduce modeled manufacturing cost per watt of nameplate capacity: for the same rated power, an efficient module can require less module area. The size of these effects depends on the manufacturing scenario rather than applying as a universal rule.
In a tandem-module cost model summarized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NLR) on January 9, 2025, the baseline was 25%-efficient modules made in the United States at 3 GW of annual factory capacity. Among the factors examined, factory throughput and module efficiency were the most significant cost sensitivities. The model combined laboratory processes with existing equipment and supply chains, and considered materials, equipment, factory location, and other factors.
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Within that model and scenario, lead author Jacob Cordell said that a 2.5 percentage-point absolute increase in module efficiency produced the same reduction in cost per nameplate capacity as doubling factory size. This is a modeled comparison, not a general conversion between efficiency and factory scale. The model did not address module energy production or lifetime.
What the published cost figures do—and do not—say
A 2022 Applied Energy techno-economic analysis by Blake Martin, Delaina Amos, Ellen Brehob, Maikel van Hest, and Thad Druffel modeled roll-to-roll production using radiation thermal processes. It considered a single plant exceeding 1 GW per year and also discussed very large-scale operations of several gigawatts.
| Study and modeled result | What the figure represents | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Martin et al., 2022: $0.04–$0.10 per watt at very large-scale operations of several gigawatts. Applied Energy study | Modeled cost to produce solar films using the study’s roll-to-roll assumptions. | A finished-module selling price, an observed commercial production cost, an installed-system cost, or a cost applicable to every factory scale. |
| NLR tandem-module model, summarized January 9, 2025: 25%-efficient modules and 3 GW annual U.S. factory capacity as the baseline. NLR release | A modeled manufacturing-cost scenario and sensitivity comparison per watt of nameplate capacity. | A universal module price, energy yield, lifetime-adjusted cost, or installed-system cost; the release does not state a comparable dollar-per-watt result. |
These figures answer different questions and should not be treated as competing price quotes. Neither source establishes a current retail module price or verified commercial manufacturing cost. They also do not provide a comparable full-system cost or validated levelized cost for commercial perovskite deployment.
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Why cell efficiency records are not proof of low-cost modules
Small research devices and commercial modules are different products. A high-performing small cell does not show that a factory can reproduce that performance over large areas, achieve good yield, or make durable interconnected modules at high throughput. DOE lists stability, efficiency at scale, manufacturability, and validation or bankability among the challenges before commercial competitiveness.
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DOE’s dated records were 26.1% for single-junction perovskite research devices and 33.9% for perovskite-silicon tandem research devices, as of April 21, 2024. These are research-cell records, not commercial module efficiency figures. Module economics also depend on processing complexity, integration, encapsulation, reliability, and the exact boundary included in a cost model.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reliability and field validation are part of the cost problem
Perovskites can degrade under moisture, oxygen, light, heat, applied voltage, or combinations of those stresses. More protective encapsulation may help a module withstand its environment, but its materials and manufacturing steps must be counted in the economics. DOE says commercial production has not begun primarily because operational lifetimes remain limited.
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Early outdoor observations are not lifetime demonstrations
As of April 22, 2024, the Photovoltaic Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (PACT) had measured minimodules of about 25 cm² with 15–18% aperture-area efficiency that had not fallen to 80% of their initial efficiency after five months outdoors. That is a useful early field observation, not evidence of performance over decades.
For grid-scale electricity generation, DOE gives a target operational lifetime of at least 20 years, preferably more than 30 years. Its research-directions guidance also cautions that test conditions vary enough to complicate direct comparisons and predictions of field life.
Standardized testing makes durability claims more comparable
DOE identifies IEC 61215 tests for ultraviolet exposure, thermal cycling, damp heat, and potential-induced degradation as relevant initial assessments. It also points to an International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS)-recommended test for stability under combined light and heat. Advanced encapsulation, alternative material formulations and contact layers, and surface treatments are research approaches to improving stability.
Passing relevant tests and obtaining standardized, third-party validation would help establish whether a module’s performance can be reproduced and trusted. Those results are essential to bankability; cost models alone cannot show that a perovskite module will deliver reliable electricity throughout a commercial project’s life.
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