Researchers at the University of Palermo and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have published a life-cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis of four lab-scale perovskite solar cells developed under Italy's NEST (Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition) project, identifying the environmental and economic bottlenecks that stand between current lab performance and industrial competitiveness. Solar PV's installed capacity has grown roughly tenfold over the past decade, and perovskite solar cells are widely seen as one of the more promising next-generation technologies to sustain that growth. But as the technology moves toward commercialization, the researchers argue that its environmental footprint and manufacturing costs need to be designed in from the early research stage rather than addressed after the fact - an approach known as eco-design. To that end, the team applied the Product Environmental Footprint methodology and life-cycle costing to four cells fabricated in NEST partner laboratories in Rome and Palermo, quantifying impacts and costs per kWh of electricity generated over each cell's lifetime.
Gold electrodes account for most of perovskite solar cells' environmental impact
