Perovskite solar cells have improved quickly in the lab, from a certified 14.1% in 2013 to 28.0% in 2026, and they are now starting to leave it. Oxford PV made its first commercial shipment of perovskite-on-silicon tandem panels in September 2024, and the record for a perovskite-on-silicon tandem cell reached 35.2% in February 2026. But perovskites have not replaced ordinary silicon panels on roofs.
The short answer to the question most people ask: stacked on top of silicon, perovskites can turn more sunlight into electricity than silicon alone. What they have not yet shown is that they can last for decades outdoors. Only small volumes of perovskite panels have been sold, and we found no mainstream retail supply for UK homes.
How it works
“Perovskite” is the name of a crystal structure (ABX3), taken from the mineral calcium titanate. Solar perovskites are usually lead-halide compounds such as methylammonium or formamidinium lead iodide. They absorb light strongly in a layer less than a micrometre thick and can be deposited from solution or vapour at low temperature.
A perovskite-silicon tandem cell stacks a perovskite layer on top of a silicon cell. The perovskite uses blue and green light more efficiently, while the silicon underneath takes the red and infrared. Together the pair can beat the theoretical limit of about 33% that applies to any single-junction cell. For a primer on conventional cells, see our guide to how solar power works.
The field took off around 2012-2013. Henry Snaith’s group at the University of Oxford helped launch it with a 2012 paper in Science on meso-superstructured perovskite cells. The first certified perovskite entry on the US National Laboratory of the Rockies’ record efficiency chart was 14.1%, from EPFL in Switzerland, in May 2013. Snaith had already co-founded Oxford PV as a University of Oxford spin-out in December 2010 and has served as its chief scientific officer.
Real-world examples
Lab records grab headlines, but manufacturing and outdoor performance are the real test. This is what has been certified or shipped so far.
Oxford PV residential module. On 19 June 2024 Oxford PV announced a 60-cell, residential-size perovskite-on-silicon module (just over 1.6 m²) certified at 26.9% efficiency by Fraunhofer CalLab. The company says the best silicon modules of a similar size reach about 25%.
First commercial shipment. On 11 September 2024 Oxford PV shipped 72-cell tandem panels with 24.5% efficiency to an unnamed US customer for a utility-scale installation. The cells were made on a megawatt-scale pilot line in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. The company says the panels can produce “up to 20% more energy” than a standard silicon panel. In 2024 it also said it planned gigawatt-scale manufacturing within a few years.
Chinese scale-up. UtmoLight’s gigawatt-scale perovskite module line in Wuxi came online in 2025. The company says it can make about 1.8 million modules a year at full output; its November 2024 pilot module measured 2.8 m² and was rated at 450 W and 16.1% efficiency. In September 2026, GCL Perovskite reported a complete production run on its own gigawatt-scale line, and said its 2 m² single-junction module had passed the IEC 61215 test standard, with its tandem module passing IEC 61215 and IEC 61730. These are company statements reported by the trade press.
Licensing. On 9 April 2025 Oxford PV and Trinasolar signed an exclusive patent licence for perovskite products in China, with the right to sublicense. In February 2026 Oxford PV granted the US thin-film maker First Solar a non-exclusive US licence for perovskite devices, excluding crystalline silicon.
What the numbers say
Efficiency figures depend heavily on whether you are looking at a tiny lab cell or a panel you can buy.
Lab cell records (National Laboratory of the Rockies chart, updated August 2026)
- Perovskite-on-silicon tandem: 35.2% (LONGi, February 2026, about 1 cm² cell). The current world record. Oxford PV held the tandem record from 2018 to 2020; LONGi has held it since late 2023.
- Single-junction perovskite: 28.0% (Hainan University, February 2026, 0.051 cm²). This almost matches the best silicon cell, 28.1% (LONGi, March 2026).
- All-perovskite tandem: 30.1% (Nanjing University/Renshine, June 2024, 0.049 cm²).
- Perovskite/CIGS tandem: 26.7% (KIER, April 2026).
Modules are lower. Moving from a cell of 1 cm² or less to a full-size panel costs efficiency. UtmoLight’s single-junction pilot module was rated at 16.1%, far below the 28% cell record. Tandem modules are where perovskites currently do better: Oxford PV’s certified 26.9% module compares with the company’s figure of about 25% for the best silicon modules of similar size.
Costs. No reliable published price per watt for perovskite modules exists in 2026. The claim that perovskites will be cheaper rests on low-temperature processing that uses little material, and it remains a projection. Oxford PV’s own pitch is not a cheaper panel but more energy from the same area, which the company says lowers the cost of each unit of electricity over the panel’s life.
Limitations: the stability question
The biggest hurdle for perovskites is not efficiency but lifespan.
Lab tests are not decades outdoors. IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 certification are accelerated laboratory tests. Passing them does not prove a panel will last 25 or 30 years on a roof, and no multi-decade outdoor data for perovskites exists.
Outdoor trials. KAUST in Saudi Arabia ran an encapsulated perovskite/silicon tandem outdoors from April 2021 to April 2022. It kept more than 80% of its initial 21.6% efficiency. Its fill factor degraded most; causes included ion migration in the perovskite (which partly recovered overnight) and corrosion of the silver contact. In a separate year-long test in Petten, the Netherlands, TNO and Fraunhofer ISE found “significant” perovskite degradation in triple-junction perovskite/perovskite/silicon cells, from several causes (reported June 2026).
Lead. Most perovskites contain small amounts of lead. Keeping it sealed in during use and handling it at end of life are active research topics.
The UK angle
Oxford PV is headquartered in Oxford, where it does its research and development, but its production is in Germany. It held the world tandem record from 2018 to 2020. The University of Oxford, home to Snaith’s group, remains a leading research centre.
We found no UK perovskite factory and no government support scheme specific to perovskite panels. Panels installed on UK homes today are, in practice, silicon. For how home systems work and what they cost, see our guide to solar panels for your home in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Are perovskite solar cells better than silicon?
On efficiency, in a tandem with silicon, yes. A perovskite-on-silicon tandem cell reached 35.2% in February 2026, against 28.1% for the best silicon cell. Single-junction perovskite cells have roughly matched silicon in the lab (28.0%), but single-junction perovskite modules are well behind.
Do perovskite panels last as long as silicon panels?
We do not know yet. Outdoor trials have run for about a year. One KAUST tandem kept more than 80% of its starting efficiency, while a TNO and Fraunhofer ISE trial found significant degradation. No multi-decade outdoor data exists.
Can I buy perovskite solar panels for my house in the UK?
Not in any mainstream way. Oxford PV’s first commercial shipment, in September 2024, went to a utility-scale customer in the US. For support with conventional systems, see our page on solar panel grants and incentives in the UK.
Are perovskite panels cheaper than silicon?
Not proven. Perovskites can be deposited at low temperature with little material, which is why some expect lower costs, but that is a projection. No reliable price per watt for perovskite modules has been published as of 2026.
What is the current world record for perovskite efficiency?
For a perovskite-on-silicon tandem cell, 35.2% (LONGi, February 2026, on a cell of about 1 cm²). For a single-junction perovskite cell, 28.0% (Hainan University, February 2026).
How do perovskites compare with quantum dot solar cells?
Perovskites are much further along. The best certified quantum dot cell is 19.1%, and no quantum dot panel is on sale. Read more in our explainer on quantum dot solar cells.