Programme
11 June 2025
Cumulative photovoltaic waste highlights the importance of considering waste recycling before the commercialization of emerging photovoltaic technologies. Perovskite photovoltaics are a promising next-generation technology, where recycling their end-of-life waste can reduce the toxic waste and retain resources. Here, we report a low-cost, green solvent-based holistic recycling strategy to restore all valuable components from perovskite photovoltaic waste. We develop an aqueous based perovskite recycling approach which can also rejuvenate degraded perovskites, exhibiting a recycling ratio of 99.0 0.4 wt%. We further extend the scope of recycling to charge-transport layers, substrates, cover glasses and metal electrodes. After repeated degradation-recycling processes, the recycled devices show similar efficiency and stability compared to the fresh devices. Our holistic recycling strategy reduces 96.6% resource depletion and 68.8% human toxicity (cancer effects) impacts associated with perovskite photovoltaics compared to the landfill treatment. With recycling, the levelized cost of electricity decreases by 18.8% for utility-scale systems and by 20.9% for residential systems. This study highlights unique opportunities of perovskite photovoltaics for holistic recycling and paves the way for sustainable perovskite solar economy.

Muyi Zhang
University of Linköping, SE
Towards Sustainable Commercialization of Perovskite LEDs: A Life Cycle Perspective and Technical Upgrading Pathways

Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, DE
Upscaling of OPV Devices: From Lab Cells to Fully Solution-Processed Large Area Modules

Chemnitz University of Technology, DE
Decoding the JV curve: insights into the physics of organic solar cells

Kaunas University of Technology, LT
Molecular Design in Organic Chemistry: Carbazole-Based Self-Assembled Monolayers for Solar Cells
