Latest Progress in Perovskite Tandem Cell Technology: Dual Drive of Efficiency Breakthrough and Industrialization Acceleration

Perovskite tandem cells, with their core advantages of high theoretical efficiency limit, low manufacturing cost, and diverse applications, have become the core development direction for next-generation PV technology. In 2025-2026, global research institutions and PV companies achieved multiple breakthroughs in efficiency, stability, large-area preparation, and industrialization. Lab-scale small cell efficiencies repeatedly set world records, while commercial-size products gradually passed authoritative certifications, with the perovskite-silicon tandem route becoming the closest to mass production. All-perovskite tandem and perovskite-CIGS tandem routes also show great potential. This article, based on data from authoritative journals like Nature and Nature Communications, and certification bodies such as the China Institute of Metrology, Germany's ISFH, and USA's NREL, summarizes the latest breakthroughs, industrialization progress, and future trends of perovskite tandem cell technology.

I. Efficiency Breakthrough: Multiple Routes Refresh World Records, Commercial Size Approaches 33%

Perovskite tandem cells break through the Shockley-Queisser limit through spectral complementation of wide-bandgap top cells and narrow-bandgap bottom cells, with perovskite-silicon tandem theoretical efficiency reaching 43%, the core track for current R&D. In 2025-2026, domestic and international teams achieved leapfrog improvements in both small-size and commercial-size cell efficiencies, with multiple routes entering the global first tier.

1. Perovskite-Silicon Tandem: Core Route Repeatedly Breaks Records

   Longi Green Energy continuously refreshes this route's efficiency ceiling. In April 2025, certified by NREL, its crystalline silicon-perovskite two-terminal tandem cell efficiency reached 34.85%, again setting a world record. In November 2025, the company, in collaboration with universities, developed a commercial-size flexible crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cell with 29.8% efficiency, certified by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute, becoming the world's first authoritatively certified flexible tandem cell record, with lab small-size devices reaching 33.4%. In February 2026, a domestic PV leader, together with universities, achieved 33.2% efficiency for perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem cells, certified as a new domestic record, using a four-terminal tandem structure boosting spectral utilization to 95%.

   Equipment company Maxwell focuses on commercial-size mass production technology. In January 2026, certified by the China Institute of Metrology, its G12H specification (210mm*105mm) perovskite/silicon heterojunction tandem cell efficiency reached 32.38%, with expectations to push commercial-size efficiency to 32.5% in 2026. Trina Solar's 210 large-area perovskite/crystalline silicon two-terminal tandem cell also reached 32.6%, and it launched an 886W industrial-standard tandem module.

2. Perovskite-CIGS Tandem: Emerging Route Shows Potential

   In January 2026, research published in Nature Communications showed a team developed an Al:ZnO/Au/NiOₓ/4PAD-CB composite intermediate layer, solving interface matching issues between perovskite and CIGS sub-cells. Their perovskite/CIGS tandem cell achieved 28.04% efficiency on a 0.51cm² area, and 30.71% on a 0.15cm² area (externally cross-verified at 30.1%), with a fill factor as high as 80.9%, demonstrating excellent light stability and thermal stability, becoming an emerging technology route comparable to perovskite-silicon tandem.

3. All-Perovskite Tandem: Long-Term Direction with Continuous Breakthroughs

   All-perovskite tandem, due to its unified material system and simplified preparation, is a long-term direction. Current lab small-size efficiency has reached 30.1%. Domestic company Microquanta focuses on this route, having refreshed module efficiency world records 7 times and becoming the world's first perovskite company to pass the IEC stability full-sequence test.

Perovskite tandem cell technology route efficiency comparison chart (X-axis: technology route: perovskite-silicon, perovskite-CIGS, all-perovskite; Y-axis: conversion efficiency, annotated with lab small-size/commercial-size latest data, including certification bodies and time).

Perovskite-silicon heterojunction tandem cell structure schematic (annotated with top cell/bottom cell/intermediate composite layer core structure, highlighting advantages of the heterojunction TCO natural intermediate layer).

II. Technical Breakthroughs: Stability, Flexibility, Large-Area Preparation Achieve Core Progress

The commercialization of perovskite tandem cells was once hindered by three major problems: poor stability, difficulty balancing flexibility and efficiency, and large efficiency loss in large-area preparation. In 2025-2026, research and industry achieved key breakthroughs through material innovation, structural design, and process optimization, laying the foundation for industrialization.

1. Stability Breakthrough: Passing International Standard Tests, Long-Term Attenuation Significantly Reduced

   Core stability breakthroughs focus on interface passivation and encapsulation technology. The 33.2% efficient perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem cell released in February 2026 used a novel 2D perovskite interface layer, reducing defect density by two orders of magnitude. Multilayer composite encapsulation improved the water-oxygen barrier by 100 times. With self-healing polymers, the attenuation rate under 85°C/85% RH dual-85 conditions was<5%, successfully passing IEC61215 PV module standard tests. Microquanta's all-perovskite modules became the world's first to pass the IEC stability full-sequence test; GCL Optoelectronic's perovskite modules were launched into space on a satellite in 2024, successfully verifying stability in extreme space environments.

2. Flexibility Breakthrough: Ultra-Thin Silicon Wafer + Buffer Layer Design Achieves High Flexibility and Efficiency

   Longi's flexible crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cell reduced silicon wafer thickness to 60 micrometers, imparting flexibility with a bending radius<2 cm without breakage. An innovative "loose + dense" double-layer buffer structure absorbs mechanical stress while ensuring efficient charge transport, solving the problem of perovskite functional layer delamination during bending. The cell can be folded with a bending radius of only 1.5 cm, weighs less than 4.4 grams, and achieves a specific power of 1.77 W/g, providing technical support for lightweight, high-power scenarios like vehicle-integrated PV and space PV.

3. Large-Area Preparation: Equipment and Process Synergy, Efficiency Loss Continuously Narrowed

   Equipment leader Maxwell developed core equipment for large-area inkjet printing, evaporation, and atomic layer deposition (ALD), achieving uniform large-area perovskite film deposition. Its perovskite/silicon heterojunction tandem whole-line equipment is compatible with existing heterojunction production lines, achieving 100% equipment reuse, significantly reducing line upgrade costs. In 2024, GCL Optoelectronic achieved an efficiency breakthrough of 18% for 1m×2m large-area perovskite modules, becoming a global benchmark for large-area module industrialization. The 33.2% efficient tandem cell released in 2026 has solved uniformity issues for large-area preparation from 1cm² to 100cm², laying the foundation for pilot line mass production.

III. Industrialization Accelerates: Planned Capacity Exceeds 2GW, Leading Companies Begin Commercial Deployment

From 2024 to 2026, perovskite tandem cells moved from labs to pilot lines. Domestic PV leaders and emerging players are laying out capacity, equipment companies achieved whole-line order breakthroughs, costs continue to fall, and the first national standard for perovskite modules is expected in 2025, marking a critical "from 0 to 1" stage for industrialization.

1. Capacity Layout: Planned Over 2GW, 100MW Pilot Lines Densely Landed

   As of February 2026, total planned domestic perovskite tandem cell capacity exceeded 2GW, with actual landing of about 500MW. GCL Optoelectronic, the fastest in industrialization, launched the world's first 100MW perovskite mass production line in 2023, with module costs dropping to 0.8 RMB/W in 2024, planning a 1GW line in 2025 with a cost target of 0.6 RMB/W. Trina Solar is building a 200MW perovskite-silicon tandem pilot line, with mass production expected in 2025. JinkoSolar plans a 500MW perovskite line in 2025, with lab tandem efficiency already exceeding 32%. On the equipment side, Maxwell signed the first commercial whole-line order for perovskite/silicon heterojunction tandem cells in December 2025, marking that equipment supply capability has reached a large-scale level.

2. Cost Reduction: Material and Process Innovation Bring Costs Close to Traditional Crystalline Silicon Cells

   The cost advantage of perovskite tandem cells stems from low material usage and low manufacturing energy consumption: the perovskite layer thickness is only 0.5 μm, material usage is 90% less than crystalline silicon, and material costs are only 1/20-1/30 of crystalline silicon; solution-based preparation temperature is<150°C, and manufacturing energy consumption is 70% lower than crystalline silicon. In 2024, GCL Optoelectronic's 1m×2m module cost had dropped to 0.8 RMB/W. The 33.2% efficient tandem cell released in 2026 is expected to have mass production costs 20-25% lower than PERC cells. The industry expects perovskite tandem module costs to fall to 0.7 RMB/W in 2025, approaching the PERC level.

3. Application Scenarios: From Ground-Mounted Plants to Emerging Scenarios, Diversified Layout Begins

   The flexibility, semi-transparency, and high specific power of perovskite tandem cells break traditional boundaries, initiating diversified scenario layouts:

   • Building Integrated PV (BIPV): GCL Optoelectronic adopts a "building materialization" route, cooperating with top real estate developers on BIPV demonstration projects, with semi-transparent modules replacing glass curtain walls for power generation.

   • Space PV / Vehicle-Integrated PV: Longi's flexible tandem cells achieve a specific power of 1.77 W/g; GCL Optoelectronic's modules have completed space verification, making them suitable for satellites, drones, and EV roofs.

   • High-end distributed market: JinkoSolar cooperates with automakers to develop vehicle-integrated PV systems, targeting high-price distributed markets in Europe and America.

Suggested Image 3: Perovskite tandem cell industrialization timeline (annotated with 2023-2028 key nodes: first mass production line launch, whole-line equipment order signing, GW-level line planning, cost targets, etc.)

Suggested Image 4: Schematic of perovskite tandem cell application scenarios (covering BIPV, vehicle-integrated PV, space PV, distributed plants, etc., annotated with core technical requirements for each scenario).

IV. Global Landscape and Challenges: China Leads in Technology and Industrialization, Three Major Problems Remain

In the current global competition for perovskite tandem cell technology, China has achieved dual leadership in technology and industrialization: On the technology side, Chinese companies occupy 6 of the top 10 global perovskite cell efficiency spots. Longi, CATL, and Trina Solar are in the global first tier for perovskite-silicon tandem efficiency and stability. On the industrialization side, China has a complete PV industry chain, with equipment localization reaching 80%, and leading companies' pilot line yield targets have been raised to over 85%. Internationally, the US, Japan, and South Korea mainly focus on lab R&D, with technological accumulation in all-perovskite tandem and perovskite-CIGS tandem routes, but their industrialization progress lags behind China's.

Despite rapid development, perovskite tandem cell commercialization still faces three core challenges:

1. Long-term stability validation: Most current stability tests are lab accelerated aging, lacking over 25 years of outdoor empirical data. More reliable accelerated test methods and in-depth research on attenuation mechanisms are needed.

2. Large-area preparation yield: Efficiency loss for >1m² large-area modules remains significant. Film uniformity control and defect management are key difficulties for mass production.

3. Environmental and standards issues: Perovskite materials contain lead; environmental solutions for lead leakage are not yet fully mature. Global international standards for perovskite modules are not unified; the first domestic national standard is expected in 2025, and perfecting the standard system still takes time.

V. Future Trends: Efficiency Towards 35%, Penetration Expected to Reach 15% by 2030

Based on current technology progress and industrialization rhythm, three clear trends for perovskite tandem cells emerge:

1. Efficiency continues to improve: Short-term (2026) commercial-size perovskite-silicon tandem cells will exceed 32.5%, with lab small-size efficiency approaching 35%; medium-term (2028) mass production efficiency is expected to reach 33%, with lab efficiency exceeding 38%; long-term (post-2030) with all-perovskite tandem technology maturing, efficiency is expected to approach the 40% theoretical limit.

2. Industrialization scale rapidly expands: 2025-2027 will be the mass production first year for perovskite tandem cells, with GW-level lines densely landing. Global penetration is expected to reach 1% in 2025, with a market size of approximately 200 billion RMB; by 2030, penetration will rise to 15%, with a market size exceeding 300 billion RMB, and BIPV will become the first large-scale application scenario.

3. Technology routes diversify: Short-term (3-5 years) perovskite-silicon tandem remains mainstream, leveraging the existing crystalline silicon industry chain for rapid mass production; medium-term (5-10 years) all-perovskite tandem will become the core direction, with material and process innovation further reducing costs; perovskite-CIGS tandem will break through in flexible and space PV niches, forming a multi-route coexistence pattern.

Conclusion

The technological breakthrough of perovskite tandem cells breaks the efficiency ceiling of traditional crystalline silicon cells, ushering in a "high efficiency + low cost" dual upgrade era for the PV industry. The series of achievements in 2025-2026 prove that this technology has moved from lab R&D to the critical stage of industrialization. Chinese companies' comprehensive lead in technology, capacity, and equipment contributes core strength to the global PV energy transition. Although challenges like stability, large-area preparation, and environmental issues remain, with continued research and industrial chain improvement, perovskite tandem cells are expected to reshape the PV industry landscape in the next 10 years, becoming one of the core technologies driving PV to replace traditional energy and providing important support for global "dual carbon" goals.

Data Sources: Nature, Nature Communications; China Institute of Metrology, Germany's ISFH, USA's NREL, Germany's Fraunhofer ISE; official releases from Longi, Maxwell, GCL Optoelectronic; and authoritative financial and technology media like Snowball, Sina Finance, China Economic Net, China Science and Technology Net.

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