UNSW and UtmoLight report a certified stabilized efficiency of 23.5% for a perovskite submodule
The fabrication approach removes the conventional nickel oxide layer and allows a hole-selective contact to form directly during processing
The partners plan to produce a 2.8 m² module targeting 18-19% efficiency
Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia and perovskite manufacturer UtmoLight have achieved a certified stabilized power conversion efficiency of 23.5% for a perovskite solar submodule. According to UNSW, the result exceeds the previous benchmark by 0.6 percentage points.
The submodule measures 30 × 30 cm, with a total area of 900 cm². UNSW reports that this efficiency, measured over a 676 cm² aperture area, is a world record.
The UNSW team, headed by Prof. Xiaojing Hao, focused on how materials perform when used in larger devices. Laboratory perovskite cells are typically around 1 cm².
Alongside the efficiency result, the researchers removed the conventional nickel oxide layer. This layer helps prevent electrical short circuits but can also react adversely with the perovskite material. Removing it avoids a manufacturing step and a potential source of instability.
The team changed the materials and fabrication process so that a hole-selective contact forms directly during fabrication, rather than through a conventional layer-by-layer process. This contact collects positive charge carriers from the perovskite absorber.
UtmoLight contributed its expertise in large-area processing and module fabrication. According to Hao, the collaboration allowed the partners to test scalability early in development and adjust their materials and device concepts as needed.
In 2025, UtmoLight commissioned a 1 GW perovskite module production line in Wuxi, China. The line produces 2.8 m² modules rated at 450 W with a reported full-area efficiency of 16.1% (see World’s ‘1st’ GW-Scale Perovskite Solar Module Fab Online In China).
“Achieving high efficiency at this scale requires much more than simply transferring a laboratory process to a larger substrate,” Hao said.
The partners now plan to produce a 2.8 m² module over the next few months, targeting around 18-19% efficiency. This will test the approach at dimensions representative of commercial PV modules. The researchers say further work is needed to improve efficiency, reproducibility and long-term stability before widespread deployment.
