RENEWABLE ENERGY
THE NEXT FRONTIER OF SOLAR ENERGY
WHERE HIGHER EFFICIENCY CHANGES EVERYTHING Our technology translates breakthrough efficiency into real world impact by delivering more power from every square metre. In mainstream applications such as utility and rooftop solar, higher efficiency means more electricity from the same footprint, improving project economics, easing land constraints, and lowering the cost of clean energy over a system’s lifetime. Beyond mainstream deployments, the impact of
Ed Crossland, CTO, Oxford PV, explains how
perovskite-silicon tandem technology offers a practical, scalable, pathway to higher performance solar
G
lobal energy demand is growing faster than at any point in recent history. Electrification,
artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of data centres are placing enormous pressure on power grids worldwide. Solar photovoltaics, already the cheapest source of new electricity generation and the fastest-growing energy technology, is well placed to meet this challenge. But keeping pace with demand requires more than simply installing more panels. It requires getting significantly more power out of each and every one. That is precisely what the perovskite-silicon tandem delivers.
WHY SILICON IS NO LONGER ENOUGH Silicon has been the foundation of solar panels for over half a century. It is reliable, abundant, and produced at massive scale. But after decades of steady improvement, commercial silicon panels are reaching the fundamental limits of what they can practically achieve. The best silicon modules now reach 24–25% efficiency and offer only fractional further gains. Incremental progress is not sufficient to meet the scale we need. Unlocking the next generation of solar performance requires a new approach.
PEROVSKITE: NEXT GENERATION SOLAR TECHNOLOGY Sunlight is not a single colour but a continuous spectrum, ranging from high-energy ultraviolet through to lower energy infrared and beyond. Conventional silicon cells absorb light broadly across this spectrum, but in doing so they lose energy from the higher energy wavelengths outside their sweet spot – either reflecting them away or converting them to heat rather than electricity. Perovskite is a class of material that can be
tuned to absorb different parts of the solar spectrum very effectively. At Oxford PV, we integrate a thin perovskite cell directly onto a standard silicon cell, creating a two-junction – or tandem – device. The perovskite top cell captures high-energy sunlight more efficiently; leaving the silicon bottom cell to absorb the lower-energy light that passes through. Together, they convert
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higher efficiency is mission critical and redefines what is possible. In satellites and High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), every gram of panel weight and every square centimetre of wing area is at a premium. The difference between good and exceptional efficiency is not a matter of marginal gain; it can determine whether a mission is feasible in the first place. Electric vehicles present a similar dynamic on the ground. With limited roof and bonnet area available for solar integration, higher power density means meaningfully more energy harvested – contributing to extended range and reducing dependence on grid charging. By enabling solar where conventional technologies fall short, we unlock new use cases that expand the role of clean energy far beyond the ground.
SCALING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOLAR For any breakthrough technology, impact is defined not only by performance, but by the ability to scale. Perhaps the most important practical advantage of tandem technology is that it does not require rebuilding the solar industry from scratch. Perovskite-on-silicon cells are manufactured by adding to existing silicon production lines. The vast global manufacturing base for conventional solar can be adapted and extended, rather than replaced. Oxford PV is pursuing this transition through
a combination of direct manufacturing and an industry licensing model, enabling solar manufacturers to adopt tandem technology at pace. As energy demand grows, perovskite-silicon
tandem technology offers a practical, scalable pathway to higher performance solar – not as a distant innovation, but as a solution ready to be deployed globally.
a much greater portion of the sunlight into electricity than either material could manage alone. The result: significantly more power from the same panel area. Our expertise is built on over a decade of research, development and manufacturing. Founded in 2010, Oxford PV has played a pioneering role in advancing perovskite-silicon tandem technology from laboratory research to commercial reality. In 2024, we became the first company to ship commercial perovskite- on-silicon tandem modules. Our product already offers industry-leading 25% module efficiency, with a performance trajectory that conventional silicon simply cannot match. Our roadmap will deliver 30% module efficiency and a 30-year operational lifetime by 2030. This represents a clear step change in solar
performance and demonstrates that perovskite PV is no longer theoretical, but market ready and ready to scale.
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2026 27
Oxford PV
www.oxfordpv.com
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