Commercial perovskite solar modules at SNEC 2024 trade show

Utmo Light, a Chinese perovskite company, is showcasing its first commercial perovskite solar module this week at the SNEC PV trade show in Shanghai. The Module UL-M12-G1 measures 1,200 mm x 600 mm and is available in four power classes, ranging from 110 W to 130 W.

Utmo Light President Zhenrui Yu told pv magazine at SNEC in Shanghai that the first target for the new perovskite modules will be building-integrated PV (BIPV) applications. Unlike crystalline modules, the translucent perovskite panels can be tinted in any color. Utmo Light offers modules strung into a single sheet of glass measuring 2.4 meters by 1.2 meters for building integration.

Yu said the panels have passed all IEC testing for solar modules and can withstand a 2,300-hour UV bath at 1,000 watts per square meter and 60 C, for 12 years of operation without degradation. He said the company has been developing perovskite technology since 2018 and has solved the early degradation problem. It offers a 10-year product warranty and a 25-year warranty on linear degradation.

Yu said the product is already on sale, with several kilowatt-scale projects installed in China and Japan. He expects installations to reach the megawatt scale by the end of the year.

The company is building a new line with 1 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. The production line, set for completion this year in Wuxi, China, will produce modules measuring 2.2 meters by 1.2 meters.

Utmo Light has set up a working group to develop perovskite silicon tandem cells, aiming for efficiency ratings above 30%. Yu declined to provide a timeline for commercial availability.

Yu said the perovskite modules cost about CNY 1.4 ($0.19)/W. He said perovskites could be manufactured more affordably than this, and claimed that once the company’s 1 GW commercial line is fully operational, costs could fall to $0.11/W.