Perovskite PV Technology: A New Engine for China’s Photovoltaic Industry Upgrade

Recently, relevant proposals have been put forward to promote the industrialization breakthrough of perovskite solar photovoltaic technology, which, with its prominent advantages of low cost, high efficiency and low carbon emissions, has become a key direction for the next generation of photovoltaic (PV) technology. Multi-dimensional efforts from national planning, policy support and market application are suggested to build new core competitiveness for China’s PV industry.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s crystalline silicon PV industry has achieved leapfrog development, leading the world in total industrial capacity and output, with the manufacturing output value exceeding one trillion yuan. By the end of 2025, the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon cells has approached its theoretical limit, and the industry is at a crucial juncture of transformation from "scale expansion" to "quality and efficiency improvement".

Perovskite technology stands out as a key driver for the green and low-carbon transformation of the PV industry. The theoretical limit efficiency of perovskite single-junction cells can reach 33%, and that of tandem cells is expected to exceed 40%. Meanwhile, perovskite cells feature a short production process, with energy consumption only one-thirteenth of that of crystalline silicon and carbon emissions just 7.9% of crystalline silicon PV, promising to become the second growth driver for the industry.

To meet the goal of striving for a total installed capacity of 3.6 billion kilowatts of wind and solar power by 2035, breakthroughs in PV technology are urgently needed. Perovskite technology, with its characteristics of light weight, flexibility and good low-light performance, can expand PV applications to diverse scenarios such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), consumer electronics and space photovoltaics, promoting a diversified technological pattern in the industry.

To foster the second growth pole of the PV industry, targeted proposals have been put forward. Firstly, incorporate the high-quality development of perovskite PV technology and industry into national planning, conduct full-chain systematic planning from basic research and technological breakthroughs to industrial demonstration and large-scale application, and build industrial clusters with multi-field coordinated development.

In terms of policy support, strengthen precise full-chain support for the perovskite industry through major national strategies and projects, covering R&D, pilot testing, mass production and application. Focus on supporting the R&D of cutting-edge technologies such as perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem cells, concentrate on breaking key bottlenecks such as photoelectric conversion efficiency and long-term stability, and firmly grasp the leading power in the development of next-generation PV technology.

Market application is the key driver for technological industrialization. It is suggested that in large-scale PV bases, centralized power stations and medium-to-large distributed PV projects, the application ratio of perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem modules and single-junction perovskite modules should not be less than 10%. In zero-carbon park construction, set the application ratio of perovskite modules at no less than 30%, and promote the construction of 100 national-level zero-carbon parks during the 14th Five-Year Plan period based on the first 52 pilot parks. Meanwhile, include perovskite PV modules and terminal consumer products into policy support scope to expand domestic demand through fiscal subsidies and green consumption incentives.

In industrial ecosystem construction, encourage regions with sound PV foundations and superior resources to issue special support policies, support leading enterprises to build national-level technology centers, and promote the construction of "industry-university-research-application" collaborative innovation platforms. Conduct core technological research through joint efforts, implement a "three-year action plan for perovskite PV technology", and build large-scale application demonstration zones to form replicable and promotable experience models.

A leading enterprise in TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide) glass, a core material for perovskite, has achieved technological breakthroughs. Its products from production lines in Zibo and Tengzhou have been applied by leading domestic perovskite cell enterprises, and its Ningxia base will realize an annual production capacity of 20 million square meters of ultra-white TCO coated glass through 495 million yuan of technological transformation. The enterprise will continue to upgrade capacity with TCO glass, expand new application scenarios such as aerospace, and provide core material support for perovskite cell industrialization.

Accelerating the R&D and industrialization of perovskite PV technology will not only promote the transformation and upgrading of China’s PV industry, but also provide important support for building a new energy system and achieving the "dual carbon" goals. It is necessary to gather efforts from the government, enterprises and research institutions to promote high-quality industrial development and make this new technology a new moat for China’s PV industry to maintain global leadership.