All Set for Efficient and Reliable Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Photovoltaic Modules?

Over the last few years, perovskite solar cells have arisen as a technology to potentially side with mainstream silicon photovoltaics to help drive the transition towards renewable sources of energy. The coupling of perovskites with silicon in a tandem configuration may accelerate this development owing to the remarkably high power-conversion efficiencies possible with such devices. However, most of the perovskite/silicon tandem achievements so far have been confined to the lab environment, with only a few reported tests under outdoor conditions, using packaged devices. Nevertheless, one of the major challenges for perovskite/silicon tandem technologies, besides scale-up, lies in the cell-to-module (CTM) translation, which for the perovskite/silicon tandem concept is complicated by perovskite-imposed constrains such as a low temperature resilience, imposing challenges regarding tabbing and lamination, as well as a high sensitivity to moisture ingress, mandating the search for adequate encapsulation materials and methods. In this article, we describe and assess these challenges in depth and give a perspective on future directions towards module design, tailored for perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaics, combining high performance with excellent durability. Our discussion also holds relevance for all-perovskite and other emerging photovoltaic technologies seeking market entry.