Perovskite based solar cells: A milestone towards cheaper PV technology

Perovskite based hybrid organic/inorganic solar cells have recently emerged as a possible alternative to silicon PV technology. These cells are solution processed which makes them significantly cheaper than the current technologies. In addition, the power conversion efficiency of such cells has surged from 6% to 19% in few years and consequently has induced a huge enthusiasm in the photovoltaics community. However, important challenges remain on this emerging path toward affordable solar power. The removal of lead because of its toxicity and improving the durability of the device are the main issues. We discuss some attempts to address these challenges and present our simulation work to assess the potential of using various inorganic hole transport materials to improve both efficiency and durability of the device.