QAZAQ GREEN.  Researchers at Linköping University have developed a groundbreaking method to recycle all components of perovskite solar cells without using harmful solvents. This innovation, recently published in Nature, allows solar cells to be recycled multiple times while maintaining the same efficiency as the original, according to EurekAlert.

As global electricity demand surges due to AI advancements and the shift to electric transport, the need for sustainable energy sources has become more urgent. Solar power has long been a promising solution, but traditional silicon-based panels, which have dominated the market for over 30 years, are now reaching the end of their lifecycle. This has created a growing environmental issue, as there is currently no effective way to manage the waste from old silicon panels, leading to massive amounts of electronic waste.

“We need to consider recycling when developing new solar technologies,” says Feng Gao, professor of optoelectronics at Linköping University. “If we don’t know how to recycle them, maybe we shouldn’t put them on the market at all.”

Perovskite solar cells, seen as a key next-generation technology, offer several advantages: they are lightweight, flexible, transparent, and relatively inexpensive to produce. They can be installed on a variety of surfaces, including windows, and can achieve energy conversion efficiencies comparable to traditional silicon panels. However, their shorter lifespan and small lead content make efficient and sustainable recycling methods essential.

Current recycling processes rely on dimethylformamide, a toxic and potentially carcinogenic solvent. The Linköping research team has instead developed a water-based method that allows perovskite materials to be extracted and reused without compromising performance.

“We can recycle everything – glass covers, electrodes, perovskite layers, and the charge transport layer,” says Xun Xiao, a postdoctoral researcher at Linköping University.

With many countries implementing regulations requiring solar panel recycling, this breakthrough could pave the way for a more sustainable solar industry. The researchers now aim to scale up their method for industrial use, potentially making perovskite solar cells a major contributor to the future of renewable energy.