High-Efficiency, Durable Bifacial Perovskite Solar Cells

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad researchers have made significant progress in bifacial perovskite solar cell technology, unveiling a transparent electrode that enhances efficiency, durability, and infrared transparency.

By integrating a hybrid three-layer transparent electrode (NiO/Ag/NiO, or NAN), the research team successfully designed solar cells that harness light from both sides while maintaining high performance. This innovative approach, achieved using a low-energy physical vapor deposition technique, resulted in an electrode with minimal electrical resistance and high visible light transmission.

When incorporated into solar cells, the NAN transparent electrode enabled power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 9.05% and 6.54% when exposed to light from the front and rear, respectively. A bifaciality factor of 72% underscores the cells’ ability to efficiently capture light from both directions, enhancing overall energy generation.

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Durability is another key highlight of these bifacial solar cells. They retained 80% of their initial efficiency after more than 1,000 hours of operation without protective encapsulation. Additionally, the cells exhibited strong near-infrared transparency, making them ideal for applications such as thermal windows and optoelectronic devices.

With a thickness of less than 40 nanometers, the NAN transparent electrode is well-suited for integration into building materials and advanced tandem solar cell structures. This breakthrough paves the way for next-generation solar energy applications, including agrivoltaics and automotive technologies.

“This work provides a design strategy for transparent electrodes in bifacial perovskite solar cells, with promising applications in tandem devices and beyond,” said Dr. Dhriti Sundar Ghosh, associate professor of physics at IIT Dharwad.

The team claims that the findings mark a crucial step forward in solar energy research, offering new possibilities for high-efficiency, transparent solar technology.

References: Sonia Rani et al., Hybrid top transparent electrode for infrared-transparent bifacial perovskite solar cells, Journal of Photonics for Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1117/1.JPE.15.015501