Description:

Trienens Institute Generate Pillar Seminar 

Join the Paula M. Trienens Insitute for Sustainability and Energy for an event supported by the Generate Pillar, one of Six Pillars of Decarbonization. Professor Yi Hou from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore will give a presentation "Unlocking the Potential of Perovskite Solar Cells: From Single-Junction to Tandem".

What: "Unlocking the Potential of Perovskite Solar Cells: From Single-Junction to Tandem"
Who: Professor Yi Hou, National University of Singapore 
When: Friday, April 4, 11 am - 12 pm 
Where: Ryan Hall, Room 4003 

Abstract: Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained significant attention as a promising photovoltaic technology, both as standalone solar cells and in tandem configurations with silicon. While substantial progress has been made, the commercialization of state-of-the-art perovskite single-junction solar cells still faces key challenges, including interface recombination losses and stability concerns. Addressing these issues requires further advancements in interface materials and device engineering. Recent research has led to improvements in perovskite solar cell efficiency, with certified steady-state efficiencies exceeding 25.7% for a 1 cm² active-area device. These developments highlight the potential of perovskite photovoltaics for high-performance applications.

This presentation will cover the design considerations for perovskite solar cells, their efficiency and stability improvements, and their potential role in tandem architectures. It will also discuss the rationale behind wide-bandgap perovskite design, which has contributed to record efficiencies in various tandem systems: Perovskite/Organic tandem: 30.0%; Perovskite/CIGS tandem: 30.0%; Perovskite/TOPCon silicon tandem: 33.4%; Triple-junction perovskite/perovskite/silicon tandem: 30.0%. The discussion will also explore the factors enabling high efficiencies in perovskite-based tandem solar cells and their potential trajectory in the photovoltaic industry. These advancements demonstrate the feasibility of integrating perovskite technology with existing photovoltaic systems, offering new opportunities for solar energy applications.

Speaker Biography: Yi Hou is a Presidential Young Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Since 2020, he has led the Perovskite-based Multijunction Solar Cell Group at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS). He holds a Ph.D. (SAOT Scholarship) in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has also been a visiting scholar at Oxford University, EPFL, Australian National University, and Stanford University. Prof. Hou was recognized as an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 (Asia Pacific) for his work in perovskite-based tandem solar cells. He has published over 100 research papers in leading journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Energy, Nature Materials, Nature Photonics, Nature Electronics, and Nature Nanotechnology, accumulating over 14,000 citations. His work has been recognized with inclusion in Clarivate Analytics' Highly Cited Researchers list in the Cross-Field category for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, and 2024). Since 2023, he has also served as an Editor for the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. To transition these advancements from NUS labs to commercialization, Prof. Hou founded Singfilm Solar as an NUS spin-off. With the completion of its pilot production line in Singapore in 2024, the company now has the capacity to produce millions of solar cells annually, establishing itself as one of the largest commercial perovskite solar cell manufacturers.