Circularity in Perovskite-Based Tandem Photovoltaics for Terawatt-Scale Deployment

TL;DR

This review discusses the circularity challenges and strategies for sustainable deployment of perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics as they enter the market, emphasizing recycling, material substitution, and policy support.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of circularity issues and actionable strategies for integrating sustainability into the commercialization of perovskite tandem PVs.

Findings

Perovskite tandem PVs offer advantages for circularity over silicon PVs.

Addressing material substitution and recycling is critical for sustainability.

Policy frameworks are essential to promote circular practices in PV deployment.

Abstract

As photovoltaics (PVs) scale from one to multiple terawatts over the next decade, ensuring sustainable deployment is urgently required. Crystalline silicon (c-Si) PVs, the current industry standard, will generate an estimated 160 million tonnes of waste by 2050, and there remains complex technoeconomic challenges associated with their recycling. Metal-halide perovskite (MHP)-based tandem PVs not only promise higher power conversion efficiencies than single-junction c-Si devices, but also offer intrinsic advantages for circularity, including simpler device architectures, low-temperature processing, and more accessible materials recovery routes. At this pivotal juncture when perovskite PVs begin to enter the market, this review examines the critical circularity challenges that must be addressed: substitution of scarce raw materials, scalable recycling protocols, cost-effective stack delamination, safe lead sequestration, and policy frameworks to encourage circularity across the device lifecycle with effective incentives. By integrating the materials, technoeconomic and policy dimensions that go beyond conventional lifecycle assessments, we outline actionable strategies to co-optimize device performance and sustainability. This review aims to guide researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in steering perovskite-based tandem PVs towards a circular and responsible commercialization pathway within the global clean-energy transition.