Chinese joint team sets 24.0% efficiency record for 810 cm² perovskite module
en.Wedoany.com Reported - A research team jointly led by Nanjing University and perovskite photovoltaic specialist Renshine Solar has fabricated a perovskite solar module with an aperture area of 810 cm², achieving an independently certified power conversion efficiency of 24.0%. Corresponding author Ke Xiao told pv magazine that this result represents a world record for perovskite modules of this specification, and has been confirmed by TÜV SÜD in China.
The perovskite cells in the module are passivated using chemically stable lead carboxylate passivators (LCPs) based on lead dioleate (Pb(OA)₂). The research team stated that this approach improves charge carrier transport, whereas conventional ammonium halide passivators (AHPs), when combined with slot-die coating followed by vacuum chamber drying (VCD) processes, often encounter chemical, thermal, or interfacial instability issues.
The researchers observed that AHP treatment causes non-uniform deposition, macroscopic defects, and significant photoluminescence (PL) heterogeneity; in contrast, LCP treatment produces uniform, hydrophobic films with enhanced resistance to moisture, thermal stress, and ultraviolet degradation.
The team applied LCPs to perovskite films with a formamidinium iodide (FAI)-rich surface, forming a chemically bonded, well-defined passivation layer that provides environmental protection while maintaining efficient charge extraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the chemical bonding between LCPs and the FAI-rich surface; photoluminescence measurements showed that carrier lifetime extended from 264 ns to 706 ns, indicating reduced interfacial traps and improved passivation quality. The researchers used cells fabricated with this passivation method to build the 810 cm² module, but did not disclose detailed technical information about its architecture.
Under standard test conditions, this 810 cm² module achieved a champion power conversion efficiency of 24.2%, with an independently certified efficiency of 24.0%; open-circuit voltage was 53.46 V, short-circuit current was 0.436 A, and fill factor was 83.40%. Ke Xiao stated that the module maintained a stable output of 19.4 W under maximum power point tracking (MPPT), making it the first perovskite solar module with an aperture area exceeding 800 cm² and efficiency exceeding 24%.
The research team also fabricated 150 modules with an area of 0.72 m² each, achieving an average power output of 144 W. Among them, the best module achieved a certified efficiency of 22.0% and an output power of 158.4 W, setting a record for meter-scale module efficiency; this module operated stably at over 158 W under MPPT for more than two hours.
Ke Xiao added that in International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard tests, LCPs significantly enhanced module durability. After 1,300 hours of damp heat exposure, LCP modules lost only 2% of their initial efficiency, while modules using AHPs lost 39%; LCP modules showed negligible degradation after 300 thermal cycles, retained 96% of initial efficiency after 2,200 hours of MPPT operation, and retained 95% of initial performance after UV aging.
All LCP-modified modules passed the IEC 61215 standard reliability requirements. Field monitoring showed that their specific energy yield was higher than that of silicon tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules. The team concluded that combining high saturated vapor pressure (SVP) processing with chemically stable LCP passivation provides an industrialization pathway for efficient, durable, and scalable meter-scale perovskite photovoltaics.
The related findings were published in the journal Nature under the title "Lead carboxylates passivation for meter-scale perovskite solar modules."
