If you’ve been keeping up with developments in solar technology, you may have noticed a buzz around a mysterious material with a curious name: perovskite. For many, it’s just another scientific term floating around the renewable energy space. But for those of us in the industry, it represents something far more exciting – the next leap forward in solar efficiency.
Our team has just returned from Intersolar Europe 2025 in Munich, and what I saw there confirmed what many of us have suspected for some time. Perovskite is no longer just a lab experiment or a promising theory. Thanks to Oxford PV, it’s rapidly becoming a commercial reality. In this blog, I want to take you inside this game-changing technology, explain why it matters, and share how it’s set to impact solar installers and end-users alike.
From Oxford Lab to Global Breakthrough
Let’s start with a bit of background. Perovskite is not a newly invented material, but rather a term that refers to a specific crystal structure. The name dates back to the 1800s, when a Russian mineralogist identified the structure in a naturally occurring mineral. Fast forward to just over a decade ago, and researchers at Oxford University discovered that by tweaking the materials within that structure, they could create a version of perovskite that had remarkable photovoltaic properties.
What made this discovery so special? The new perovskite material turned out to be incredibly efficient at absorbing light and converting it into electricity – more so than almost anyone had expected. Since then, Oxford PV has been on a mission: to take this laboratory finding and turn it into a viable, commercial solar solution. Twelve years of research, refinement, and testing have now culminated in something real – a perovskite solar panel ready to change the industry.
So, What Exactly Does Perovskite Do?
If you’re familiar with standard solar panels, you’ll know they’re nearly all based on silicon. Silicon has been the backbone of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology for decades because it does a great job of converting sunlight into electricity. But even silicon has its limits.
Where silicon excels is in capturing light across a wide spectrum, from ultraviolet through to infrared. However, it’s not especially efficient at converting the high-energy blue and green light – the very part of the spectrum perovskite happens to specialise in.
Here’s where things get clever. Rather than replacing silicon entirely, Oxford PV has developed what’s known as a tandem solar cell. It combines a conventional silicon cell as the base with a thin layer of perovskite on top. This hybrid structure allows the perovskite to absorb and convert the high-energy part of the spectrum, while the silicon layer captures the lower-energy light passing through. The result is a solar cell that extracts more electricity from the same amount of sunlight – a significant leap in efficiency.
The Real-World Implications
What does this mean in practical terms? Simply put, more power from the same space.
Oxford PV’s first-generation commercial panels were released last year and have already been deployed in select markets across the United States. Their second-generation modules, launching this year, promise even higher efficiency. This progression is crucial for both residential and commercial applications.
In the real world, space is often the limiting factor. Whether you’re installing on a bungalow, a warehouse, or a solar farm, the roof area is fixed – but the cost of aluminium frames, cabling, and labour continues to rise. More efficient panels mean you can produce more electricity without expanding the footprint of your array. That’s a huge win for return on investment, especially in dense urban environments where roof space is at a premium.
Why Not Just Push Silicon Further?
This is a common question. Silicon technology has seen consistent improvements over the years. Module efficiencies have crept up slowly, and manufacturing costs have come down sharply. But there’s a ceiling – a hard limit on how much more can be squeezed from traditional silicon cells.
Today, the upper limit for silicon cell efficiency sits around 27 to 28 percent at best. In practical, installed module terms, that number drops slightly due to space between cells and other system inefficiencies. It’s very difficult to push beyond 25 percent at the module level using silicon alone.
Perovskite changes the equation. At the cell level, tandem technology opens up the possibility of reaching 40 to 45 percent efficiency – nearly double the practical output of standard silicon modules. This is not just theoretical. Oxford PV is already achieving 23.8 percent efficiency in their first-generation panels and expects to reach 26 percent in their next release, with a roadmap towards 30 percent modules by 2030.
A New World of Possibilities
This leap in efficiency doesn’t just mean better rooftop solar. It could unlock entirely new applications for solar technology. Imagine electric vehicles with solar-integrated roofs that actually contribute meaningful power to the battery. Or marine vessels that use solar to travel farther without refuelling. In the aviation sector, lightweight, high-efficiency solar skins could become viable for small aircraft or drone operations.
When you fundamentally improve the performance of solar panels, it’s not just an upgrade – it’s a transformation.
Oxford PV’s innovation represents a shift from incremental improvement to exponential change. We’re not just talking about saving a few extra percent of efficiency. We’re looking at a new class of solar panel that makes previously unworkable ideas suddenly possible.
Oxford PV’s Commercial Approach: Not Just a Product, but a Platform
What sets Oxford PV apart is not only the technology itself, but the strategic way it’s being brought to market. As a spin-out from Oxford University, the company was co-founded by Professor Henry Snaith, one of the early researchers involved in the discovery of the photovoltaic properties of perovskite.
The firm holds the core intellectual property behind tandem perovskite-on-silicon solar cells. Over the past decade, this IP portfolio has expanded significantly, incorporating refinements and new manufacturing techniques. While Oxford PV is producing its own panels, it is also embracing a licensing model. This is vital for scaling. The solar industry operates at terawatt capacity, and no single manufacturer can meet global demand alone.
Licensing agreements allow Oxford PV’s technology to be adopted by other large photovoltaic manufacturers around the world. One such deal is already in place, allowing production to begin in other regions. The aim is not just to dominate with a proprietary product, but to enable widespread adoption through collaboration.
This strategy ensures rapid deployment while maintaining quality control via protected patents and validated design processes. The result: more manufacturers delivering higher-efficiency solar modules to market, without each having to reinvent the wheel.
How Close Are We to Mainstream Perovskite Panels?
The key question many industry professionals are asking is: when will perovskite become mainstream?
The answer lies in scale, economics, and timing. The solar industry has shown in the past that once a superior technology proves itself in the field, a tipping point often follows. This was the case with PERC and TOPCon technologies. Once adoption starts among leading manufacturers, others typically follow suit to remain competitive.
Perovskite appears to be approaching that same inflection point. However, large-scale deployment depends on more than just performance in lab tests. Factors such as factory retooling, machine procurement, material sourcing, and workforce training all affect the pace of commercialisation.
It’s also worth noting that early adopters and pilot customers are already installing these tandem panels. Currently, the product is available primarily for commercial installations and business-to-business deals. These early deployments serve a dual purpose: they provide field data on long-term performance and offer reference installations for future clients.
At this stage, perovskite panels remain more expensive than conventional silicon modules due to limited production volume. That said, the cost curve is expected to follow the same trajectory as silicon did in its early years – driven down rapidly by economies of scale and improved manufacturing efficiency.
Efficiency Improvements: The Road to 30 Percent and Beyond
Oxford PV’s first-generation tandem modules already deliver 23.8 percent efficiency. The next iteration, scheduled for release within the year, has achieved third-party validation at 26 percent. This is not a theoretical target – modules at this level have been built, tested, and confirmed.
Looking forward, the company expects to deliver a 30 percent module by 2030. This would be a monumental achievement, setting a new benchmark for commercially available solar panels. At cell level, the theoretical maximum efficiency for tandem perovskite structures exceeds 40 percent. With continued development, module-level efficiencies in the 30 to 35 percent range are feasible within the next decade.
Such performance would not only redefine expectations for rooftop solar, but would also reshape the economics of utility-scale installations. The amount of land, cabling, and mounting infrastructure required for a given energy output could be significantly reduced, leading to more compact, higher-yield systems.
Bifacial and Tandem: The Best of Both Worlds
Another important consideration is bifaciality – the ability of a solar module to generate power from both its front and rear sides. This feature is particularly beneficial in installations where reflected sunlight or diffuse light from the ground can be captured and converted into electricity.
Oxford PV’s tandem modules are compatible with bifacial architectures. Bifacial versions are already in testing, and prototypes have demonstrated the expected energy gain of up to 20 percent, depending on installation conditions. This combination – tandem cell efficiency with bifacial gain – could represent one of the most efficient and productive configurations in solar energy.
However, tandem cells introduce new measurement challenges. Standard test protocols are being updated to accurately capture the performance of these advanced modules. As validation techniques evolve, the industry can expect more reliable data on the real-world gains delivered by tandem bifacial panels.
Applications Beyond the Rooftop
While residential and commercial rooftop systems will certainly benefit, the implications of perovskite tandem cells extend much further.
Electric vehicles, for example, could soon feature solar-integrated roofs capable of delivering meaningful charge to batteries. At present, most solar roofs on vehicles are more symbolic than functional. With higher efficiency panels, a vehicle parked in the sun could generate enough electricity to power short-range trips without ever plugging in.
Marine applications are also set to benefit. Autonomous electric yachts, currently limited by onboard battery storage and access to shore power, could become truly self-sustaining. Remote telecom towers, drones, and portable emergency systems could all see enhanced performance and reliability through compact, high-output solar arrays.
For architects and building designers, the prospect of achieving net-zero buildings using less surface area opens the door to more creative and aesthetic solar integrations.
Market Availability and Early Access
At present, Oxford PV’s tandem modules are not available for general retail or residential installation. Due to limited production capacity, the current rollout is focused on commercial clients who can provide data, performance feedback, and integration scenarios that inform future scaling.
This business-to-business model ensures early deployments offer mutual value. Clients gain access to next-generation technology, while Oxford PV gathers insights that help refine the product. These partnerships are helping accelerate readiness for wider commercial release.
As production scales and more manufacturing partners come online through licensing, broader availability is expected within the next two to three years. By that time, pricing will become more competitive, and installations will be possible across a wider range of sectors.
Preparing for the Transition
Those considering solar installations in the next few years should keep an eye on perovskite developments. Even if immediate availability is limited, the direction of travel is clear. Tandem modules are no longer speculative – they are shipping, installing, and performing in the field.
Solar engineering firms, EPCs, and facility managers would do well to begin familiarising themselves with tandem module specifications, installation requirements, and performance profiles. Procurement teams should monitor emerging suppliers and track announcements from licensed manufacturers.
In parallel, building owners and sustainability teams should consider how future panel upgrades might be planned into asset life cycles. Many commercial rooftops, for instance, are replaced every 15 to 20 years – a timeline that aligns well with the expected commercial maturity of perovskite modules.
Looking Ahead: The Terawatt Opportunity
To meet global decarbonisation targets by 2050, the world must increase solar generation capacity by multiple terawatts. This is not an incremental challenge – it is a systemic transformation. Solar will need to become not just cheaper, but also significantly more efficient.
Perovskite tandem technology represents one of the most promising tools to accelerate that transition. By extracting more energy from every square metre of panel, it offers a route to faster ROI, lower soft costs, and reduced environmental impact per watt generated.
Oxford PV is not alone in developing perovskite solutions, but it stands out for having taken a research breakthrough and converted it into a commercially ready product. Through direct deployments and strategic licensing, this technology is being positioned to reach global scale.
The next decade promises to be one of the most exciting in solar history. Perovskite is no longer a curiosity confined to research papers. It is a platform, a product, and a clear sign that solar’s next era has already begun.