Assessing the performance of perovskite solar cells under Peltier cooling

The commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been restricted so far due to their short life time, which is partly attributed to their instability at high operating temperatures. The current paper studies the performance of the cells under Peltier cooling. The experimental setup includes a perovskite solar cell and a Peltier cooler beneath, where the latter is connected to an external power supply. The temperature on the surface of the solar cell spans over the range ca. 5 °C to 50 °C under 1 sun illumination, depending on the power input of the Peltier cooler. The J-V measurements indicate a non-linear temperature dependence of the power conversion efficiency (PCE), which reaches a maximum of 18.1 % at 27 °C, whereas at temperatures close to 50 °C the PCE drops significantly. The experimental results are combined with more generic theoretical simulations for scaling up the PSC unit, which provides electrical power to the Peltier unit. The simulations examine the ability of different system configurations to maintain the solar cell temperature below 50 °C without significant deterioration of the electrical performance of the hybrid PSC – Peltier device. Overall, the results show that a large-scale PSC – Peltier device is feasible for both roof-integrated and rooftop installation types, in order to protect the solar cell from overheating and degradation.