Techno-Economic Modeling of Industrial-Scale Single-Junction Perovskite Module Manufacturing

As the PV industry expands to meet Net-Zero targets, it is entering the multi-terawatt era. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are widely viewed as the next technological leap. Competitiveness in Europe requires assessing the economic viability of large-area, solvent-free manufacturing, not just efficiency. This study applies a bottom-up techno-economic model that integrates materials, utilities, labour, and equipment at each process step to estimate factory-gate costs of vacuum thermal evaporation-based perovskite, using a GW-scale baseline and sensitivity analysis. Results show that vacuum thermal evaporation, while solvent-free, is the costliest deposition step owing to high CAPEX and significant material losses, indicating a need for yield-improvement and recovery strategies. Beyond deposition, structural layup steps (e.g., glass and framing) are major cost drivers, amplified by labour-intensive handling and logistics mark-ups linked to extra-EU imports. Frameless or lightweight foil designs could lower material expenditures, though trade-offs in handling and performance should be studied. Sensitivity results highlight the dominance of equipment depreciation, pointing to automation and scale-up as key levers. Overall, the findings prioritise R&D on process efficiency, material utilisation, automation, and design innovation to support EU-based industrial deployment of PSCs.