The European Commission Policy towards the Key Enabling Technology in Photovoltaics - the Perovskite Solar Cell and its Urban Applications Potential for Buildings
Abstract
The paper covers European Commission policy on the emerging solar cell technology based on perovskites. As perovskite photovoltaics was identified as one of just 12 Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) for the European Union to be able to achieve and sustain global technological supremacy, it is considered a strategic area for the European development. Perovskite solar cells demonstrated spectacular growth of efficiencies from 2.6% back in 2006 up to 25% (in pure perovskites) and ca. 30% (in tandem) in 2020. The competition is fierce internationally (with Asian companies investing strongly in pilot production lines) but Europe has secured a forward position with early undertaken R&D and has a chance to successfully secure a leading position in this technological international race in PV and more generally in renewables, repositioning itself in global value chains after over a decade of surrendering the field in PV modules production. Perovskite solar cells are becoming very attractive for commercialization (especially for smart buildings) not only due to cheap costs of fabrication (full printing in roll-to-roll configurations) but also due to material properties (semi-transparent and elastic thin-films).