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TNO has combined a flexible perovskite PV module to a roof tile with only minimal performance loss. Image: TNO.

Dutch research institute TNO has developed what it said is the world’s first solar roof tile based on perovskite technology.

TNO researchers, in partnership with thin-film PV specialist ASAT, applied a perovskite PV module on foil to a curved composite roof tile, achieving a 12.4% conversion efficiency when combined.

The scientists said the tile’s curved shape had only a minimal impact on the performance of the individual modules, which stood at 13.8% before being applied to the tile.

Ilke Dogan, senior scientist at TNO, said: “To the best of my knowledge, this is the world’s first electrically functioning solar roof tile concept based on flexible perovskite solar cells.”

TNO said the combination of flexible perovskite technology with a building material marked a step forward in integrating solar energy into the built environment more effectively.

The organisation also said the materials and processes used in the trial were ready for industrial application, operating under normal conditions and suitable for large-scale roll-to-roll production of flexible solar foils.

“This research line enables both customised solutions and large-scale application of flexible solar foils. TNO has completed the full development pathway: from small test cells in the laboratory, to flexible modules measuring 10 by 10 centimetres, and ultimately to a perovskite solar roof tile that can be directly applied in practice,” TNO said in a statement.

Dogan added: “This allows roofs and infrastructure to generate sustainable electricity without compromising on design or aesthetics. This makes it an important step in the further development of solar energy in the built environment.”

Karl Kiel, founder of ASAT, said: “This demonstrator of perovskite solar PV integrated into our roof tiles shows that a commercial introduction is on the short-term horizon.”

TNO said its next step would be to continue improving the technology’s lifetime, reliability, and scalability, laying the foundations for the transition of flexible perovskite solar modules into commercial applications.

Last month TNO established a spin-out company, Perovion Technologies, to lead the commercialisation of flexible perovskite technologies.

By Ben Willis