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Screening Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Modules for Premature Field Failures

Nicholas P. Irvin1, Byron McDanold1, Jackson Schall1, Joshua Parker1, Kent Terwilliger1, Rachael Arnold1, Sona Uličná1, Xiaoqiang Shi2, Chengbin Fei2 et al.

Xinwen Zhang1, Muhammad Mohsin Saeed3, Joseph M. Luther1, Zhaoning Song3, Yanfa Yan3, Jinsong Huang2, Michael G. Deceglie1, Dana B. Kern1, Timothy J. Silverman1, Joseph J. Berry1,4, Laura T. Schelhas1, and Michael Owen-Bellini1,*

  • *Contact author: Michael.OwenBellini@nrel.gov
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PRX Energy 4, 043005 – Published 27 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/g39z-lscx

Abstract

Developing metal halide perovskite (MHP) photovoltaic (PV) devices into reliable large-area solar modules could accelerate global solar energy deployment. Many MHP devices are susceptible to degradation under light and elevated temperature (LT). Published research on LT testing is limited at the module level, and LT testing has not yet been developed for qualification testing of commercial PV products. This report assesses whether results of LT testing at moderately elevated temperatures correlate with those of field-tested modules from the same batch. Six batches of samples from four manufacturers are assessed. It is shown that modules with a robust package that can maintain over 80% of their peak efficiency during LT testing at 55 °C for 100 h are more likely to retain over 80% of their peak efficiency during outdoor operation for 10 weeks. This finding is a step towards developing a validated test protocol that could be incorporated into a qualification standard for the commercialization of MHP PV technologies.

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Popular Summary

Metal halide perovskites (MHP) hold promise for efficient solar energy. However, current MHP devices degrade under light, particularly at higher temperatures. Here, the authors evaluate the effects of light and elevated temperature (LT) on MHP solar modules. They assess if LT tests at moderately elevated temperatures correlate with those of field-tested modules from the same batch. By comparing six batches of panels from four manufacturers, the authors find that modules able to keep more than 80% of their peak efficiency in the lab test were also more likely to maintain that level outdoors over 10 weeks. These results validate LT testing as an accelerated stress test that can screen for early field failures of MHP modules, providing a tool for quickly developing more durable modules. Furthermore, this study offers a foundational framework for developing a comprehensive qualification test for the certification of MHP solar modules.

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References (39)

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Outline

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PRX Energy 4, 043005– Published 27 October, 2025
  • Received 2 July 2025
  • Revised 9 September 2025
  • Accepted 22 September 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Library, part of a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.

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