PCM-buffered perovskite for adaptive thermal management and enhanced thermal stability in perovskite solar cells

Third generation perovskite solar cells have higher absorption properties, carrier mobility, longer diffusion length, lower cost and tunable bandgap than traditional solar cells. Although the long-term stability and commercial viability of perovskite solar cells remain a challenge, their use in tandem configurations with other photovoltaic technologies can further exacerbate thermal degradation and temperature-related instability. In this study, a novel adaptive thermal management strategy has been investigated in which the top perovskite solar cell (PVSK) with bandgap 1.68 eV, is monolithically integrated with a ceresin-blended paraffin phase change material (PCM) at the bottom layer. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® under irradiance conditions of the Cfa (humid subtropical) region of Guangzhou (23.1230 °N, 113.3537 °E) , the annual average perovskite temperature of the PVSK/PCM system was reduced by 7.9 K through the passive cooling of the PCM layer. This indicated enhanced thermal stability of the perovskite in PVSK/PCM device, which retained its power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with degrading standalone perovskite solar cells. Standardized lab measurements confirmed the resulting reduced thermal stress of the perovskite cells. Meanwhile, 18.5% of thermal energy transmitted from the perovskite absorber layer was utilized through the latent heat storage effect of the PCM.